Lecture Notes: Keto, Fasting, Tahini, and Cancer

Overview

The lecture covers the interconnected topics of keto diets, fasting, tahini, and cancer.
Focus on metabolic processes, particularly ketosis, and their implications for health and disease.

Definition: A metabolic state where the body uses fats and ketone bodies instead of carbohydrates for energy.
Trigger: Achieved through fasting or ketogenic diets (low-carb, high-fat).

Process: Transition to ketosis involves changes at a cellular level that many experts may not fully understand.
Key Protein: eIF4E (Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 4E) plays a crucial role in this transition.

Acts in the translation of mRNA to proteins.
Fasting or ketogenic diets increase fatty acids in the blood, activating AMPK.
AMPK influences other proteins, like MNK, affecting eIF4E.
Result: Alters protein synthesis to enhance fat burning and ketone production.

Fatty acids, beyond being fuel, signal and modulate cellular processes.
Different fats have varying effects on ketone production due to their unique structures.

Ketone Boosting Hack: Consuming sesame products like tahini can significantly increase ketone levels in the blood.
Example: 3-4 tablespoons of sesame oil or tahini before fasting can elevate ketone levels to those typically seen after several days of fasting.

Metabolic Behavior of Cancers: Some cancers, like pancreatic cancer, can switch to using ketones instead of glucose.
Research Finding: In a mouse model, combining ketogenic diets with eIF4E inhibitors can reduce pancreatic tumor growth.

Understanding metabolism can lead to innovative solutions in health, such as potential cancer treatment strategies.
Encouragement to remain curious and continue exploring metabolic science.

Fatty Acid Profiles: Different foods have varying types of fats; e.g., sesame seeds contain linoleic acid, potent in boosting ketone production.
Implications for Diet: Foods' fat compositions can influence metabolic states and overall health.

🧠 Ketosis Overview: Ketosis is a metabolic state where the body uses fats to produce ketone bodies as fuel, especially when fasting or on a ketogenic diet.
🔬 New Research Findings: A study in Nature highlights that fatty acids act as signaling molecules, not just fuel, activating a chain of cellular processes through the protein eIF4E.
🧪 Protein eIF4E's Role: eIF4E is crucial in the transition from feeding to fasting states by controlling protein translation, influenced by fatty acids.
🍃 Dietary Fats Diversity: Different foods (like nuts vs. butter) have unique fatty acid profiles that impact their ability to induce ketosis differently due to how they interact with AMPK.
🥜 Sesame and Ketosis: Consuming sesam-rich foods like tahini can significantly boost ketone levels due to its linoleic acid content activating AMPK more effectively than butter.
🏋️‍♂️ Fasting Hack: By eating 3-4 tablespoons of sesame oil or tahini before a fast, ketone levels can reach levels equivalent to a 5-6 day fast within just 24 hours.
🦠 Cancer and Ketosis: Some cancers like pancreatic cancer can use ketone bodies for fuel, suggesting a combined approach of a ketogenic diet with an eIF4E inhibitor might combat such cancers.
🔍 Clinical Implications: The research points towards potential therapeutic strategies where metabolism manipulation could lead to new cancer treatments.