How to Starve Cancer Naturally

Cancer cells have distinct nutritional requirements different from normal cells. The most outstanding difference is the absolute dependence on the amino acid, methionine. Through diet and other means, the availability of methionine to cancer cells can be reduced to near zero. Without methionine, cancer cells are unable to grow and divide.

Methionine restriction is a unique metabolic form of cancer therapy different from attempts to starve cancer cells of glucose, glutamine or fatty acids. Starving cancer cells of energy substrates is extremely challenging because normal cells will be affected in the process. Methionine restriction does not affect normal cells in any detrimental manner.

Starving cancer cells of methionine represents a revolutionary approach to cancer therapy that will eventually lead to completely nontoxic cancer treatments. One can adopt a low methionine diet today and greatly enhance treatment effectiveness or help prevent recurrence. With the addition of methioninase one can incorporate a powerful tool within their treatment plan. Methioninase is the result of decades of research conducted by Dr. Robert Hoffman. Dr. Robert Hoffman has studied and published numerous scientific papers on methionine dependence since 1976.

"How to Starve Cancer Naturally" is a source for information on how to incorporate methionine restricted diet and methioninase within your cancer treatment plan. Please feel free to contact us at 800-634-3804 or write to info@nutritionaloncology.net

     Methionine is an amino acid found in all whole foods. It is not present in oils, refined sugar, highly and refined carbohydrates. Chicken and fish contain the most methionine while fruits contain the lowest levels of methionine. A plant-based diet is generally much lower in methionine than a diet that includes animal products. However, this is not always the case because there are plant-based foods which a high methionine content and it is the amount of high and low methionine foods that matters most. To design a diet lowest in methionine while obtaining sufficient calories, fruits must be the main staple. Potato is the next best food with low methionine and high calories. Vegetables vary greatly in methionine content. Nuts, seeds, grains and beans are the plant foods highest in methionine. Refer to the methionine chart on this website for detailed information on how to design a low methionine diet. A low methionine diet is a very healthy diet since it is centered around fruits and vegetables. Adequate protein is present within a low methionine diet and this diet can be cycled to help prevent excessive weight loss or any nutritional deficiencies.

     By combining a low methionine diet with an enzyme that degrades methionine, a near zero methionine diet becomes practical, safe and highly therapeutic. Achieving near zero plasma methionine has profound therapeutic potential for the treatment of cancer and other conditions. Methioninase is such an enzyme that when taken orally degrades methionine from food within the intestinal tract. Methioninase does not enter the blood stream. 

A combination of a methionine restricted diet, methioninase and oxidative therapies represents a potentially universal and very potent system for treating malignancies. By combining a low or restricted methionine diet with methioninase we can deplete the blood stream of methionine, Without methionine, cancer cells enter cell cycle arrest meaning that they stop growing and dividing. Without methionine, cancer cells can not synthesize qlutathione which is essential for cancer cells to maintain redox balance. Therefore, the combination of diet and methioninase renders the cancer cells highly vulnerable to elevations of oxidative stress. This effect has been demonstrated in various in vitro and in vivo experimental models. This system is essentially nontoxic and harmless to normal cells. Methionine restriction causes a reduction in glutathione which elevates oxidative stress in the cancer cell. This is a very useful bonus of methionine restriction.