This study is designed to analyze the feasibility of using the sHFLC + KetoPhyt as an anti-cancer agent against glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). While the classic ketogenic diet typically uses a 4:1 ratio of fat to proteins/carbohydrates, the sHFLC + KetoPhyt diet has a maximum 2:1 ratio. This allows increased flexibility in the diet and improved nutritional sufficiency. Preclinical and controlled patient data supports that the sHFLC + KetoPhyt diet is able to decrease blood glucose levels while increasing circulating ketones, two key effects of the ketogenic diet. As caloric restriction is not used in this approach, the investigators hypothesize that patients will be able to have an increased dietary compliance compared to those patients on the very restrictive ketogenic diet, but still achieve a ketotic state.~There is general consensus in the field that the use of the phyto anti-inflammatory diet and exogenous ketone supplementation can all lead to ketosis in a matter of days, and not become what is referred to as ketone adaptative for many weeks to months. Ketosis, with blood levels of the ketone body beta-hydroxy- butarate >0.5 mM, undergoes an adaptive process where different tissues at different times alter the biochemistry of their cellular fuel sources following the switching from a glucose- to fat- and lipid-metabolism. This affects the ability to precisely measure different states of ketosis in the study population over time as the adaptive processes are temporally unique, however previous studies have described the …adaptation periods necessary… for particular tissue ketone oxidation following sustained nutritional ketosis… , and these investigators even related this to inflammation-associated cytokine expressions as the investigators propose to measure in this study.
This research is being conducted to see if patients diagnosed with high grade gliomas can adhere to the supplemented High-Fat Low-Carbohydrate (sHFLC) + KetoPhyt diet, and to see how this diet might affect cancer cells in the bloodstream. This diet is experimental and is not routinely prescribed for patients with high-grade gliomas. The results of this study may be used to support larger studies investigating possible anti-tumor affects of the sHFLC + KetoPhyt diet.