What can you do to reduce your odds of getting brain cancer?
Dave asks Dr. Kris Smith, a neurosurgeon at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.
Barrow is The world’s largest neurological disease treatment and research institution, and is ranked as one of the best neurosurgical training centers in the U.S.
He’s paying a lot of attention to ketogenic diets and what happens with epilepsy and brain cancer.
Plus how getting a dog can actually help you live longer after being treated for brain cancer! Enjoy the show!
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Ketogenic Diet and Cancer: Neurosurgeon Dr. Kris Smith #483
Links/Resources for Dr. Kris Smith
Show Notes
- “And so it just kinda got me interested in wow, maybe there’s more to this ketogenic thing than only seizure control.” Dr. Smith on getting into researching the Ketogenic Diet.
- “What can a diet do? We’re treating brain cancer, these glioblastomas, the toughest thing.” I honestly think this is not an exaggeration. There’s no bigger challenge in medicine than treatment of glioblastoma, the primary brain cancer, because it literally eats the brain from the inside out. You can’t take out the tumor without taking out part of the brain with it.”
- There are actually many, many more glial cells than there are neurons in the brain.
- “And the glial cells are all the support cells. And unfortunately we don’t get any new neurons after we’re about 25 or so. But we get a lot of turnover of glial cells.”
- Dave on Cancer. “But what’s interesting to me though is that you’re talking about epigenetics a lot. I’ve had one expert on the show who says cancer is a genetic disease. And my reading of the literature, which is not as extensive as yours, says maybe 10% of cancers, and maybe 20%. Some percentage are genetic, but it seems like most of them are lifestyle epigenetic things. “
- “So I am trying to avoid getting Alzheimer’s Disease. I’m trying to avoid getting any degenerative neuro disease, including glioblastoma. That means that I am an avid follower of the ketogenic diet. I’m also an avid exerciser. I think daily exercise clears your mind and helps your health and vitality of your neurons and your glial cells, very much so.” These, plus sleep is what Dr. Smith is doing as preventative measures.
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