Intermittent fasting has become a topic of great interest in oncology, especially in the last 10-15 years. It is not a treatment in itself for cancer, but it can be a valuable adjunct to conventional therapies and a healthy lifestyle. Its benefits are based on well-documented biological mechanisms, some of which have been confirmed in clinical and experimental studies.

Here are the main positive effects, explained in a user-friendly way:

1. Decreased insulin and IGF-1 growth factor levels

• Insulin and IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1) are hormones that stimulate cell growth.
• Cancer cells divide rapidly and "take advantage" of an environment with high insulin and IGF-1.
• With intermittent fasting, blood glucose decreases, insulin normalizes, and IGF-1 is reduced.
• This environment becomes less conducive to tumor proliferation, but supports normal cells, which adapt better to the decreased energy.

• 🔹 Studies show that reducing IGF-1 may slow tumor growth and improve response to chemotherapy.

2. Activation of autophagy ("cell cleansing")

• Autophagy is the process by which cells "recycle" their defective components, including damaged mitochondria or abnormal proteins.
• In cancer, autophagy is often blocked and toxins accumulate.
• Intermittent fasting, especially after 16-24 hours, intensely activates autophagy.
• The result: normal cells become more resistant and cancer cells become more vulnerable to treatment.

🔹 This mechanism is described as a metabolic "resetting" effect, useful both in prevention and in support of treatments.

3. Selective protection during chemotherapy ("Differential Stress Resistance")

• In fasting, healthy cells go into a protective mode, reducing division and energy consumption.
• Cancer cells, however, cannot adapt to the lack of glucose and continue to divide chaotically, making them more sensitive to chemotherapy.
• This phenomenon has been demonstrated in studies by Valter Longo, who shows that a 48-72 hour fast before chemotherapy can:
  • reduces adverse effects on healthy cells,
  • enhance the effectiveness of cytostatics.

4. Decreased systemic inflammation

• Cancer is favored by chronic inflammation, and intermittent fasting reduces levels of:
  • CRP (C-reactive protein),
  • proinflammatory interleukins (IL-6, TNF-α),
  • oxidative stress.
• An environment with low inflammation is less conducive to tumor progression and improves immunity.

5. Improving antitumor immunity

• After periods of fasting followed by healthy re-feeding, the body produces new immune cells, including cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, which attack cancer cells.
• AHCC, which you already use, can potentiate the effect on immunity if integrated into an intermittent fasting lifestyle.

6. Reducing fat mass and estrogen in hormone-dependent cancers

• Adipose tissue is a major source of inflammation and hormones, including oestrogen.
• In cancers such as breast and prostate cancer, reducing body fat decreases hormonal stimulation of the tumor.

🔹 In your personal experience, losing the 18 kg by OMAD (One Meal A Day) helped to regulate your metabolism and maintain an undetectable PSA.

7. Improving quality of life during treatment

• Many patients report:
  • less nausea during chemotherapy,
  • better energy,
  • more restful sleep,
  • increased mental clarity.
• These effects are associated with the stabilization of blood glucose and increased production of ketones, which become a clean fuel for the brain and muscles.

Important precautions

• It is not recommended in case of casexia (severe weight loss) or in very advanced cancers, where the patient is already extremely thin.