Search Our Site

Fasting and Cancer: Unlocking Your Innate Healing Power

Thanks to a number of promising mouse research studies*, the link between fasting and cancer has been called to attention, with fasting being explored more and more as a potential healing technique. Although research for humans is currently minimal, fasting has been used as a way to improve health for centuries, dating back even to biblical times. To understand if and how fasting can complement your healing program, we first must understand what fasting does to the human body, and how fasting and cancer relate.

The Science Behind Fasting

Our bodies derive energy from three sources: carbs, fats, and proteins. Inside the body, carbs are broken down into glucose, simple sugar molecules that circulate the bloodstream for immediate energy use. Any excess sugar is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and muscle matter as an easy-to-access deposit for future energy needs.

Fats and proteins, on the other hand, produce a cleaner energy source, but can only be utilized when carbohydrate reserves are completely exhausted. By periodically abstaining from food for 14-16 hours, a process known as intermittent fasting (IF), patients can help healthy cells tap into these clean reserves while systematically weakening cancer cells.

During the first few hours of fasting, the amount of glucose available in the bloodstream drastically lowers. While both cancerous and healthy cells use glucose as their primary source of energy, cancer cells require significantly more and respond differently when deprived of sugar. Healthy cells enter an initial “hibernation” mode, while cancer cells exhaust themselves continuing to search for an energy source.

Around the 8-hour mark of fasting, free circulating glucose will be depleted and the body will resort to those easy-access glycogen stores. Only after 12 hours, the body starts to burn fats and produce ketones, an alternative energy source that cancer cells can’t process.

While refraining from eating is not a long-term solution, short periods of fasting aid the body’s metabolic processes and can produce a number of health benefits throughout the body. In addition to weakening diseased cells, intermittent fasting has been shown to:

  • Accelerate weight loss
  • Reduce oxidative stress
  • Remove toxins
  • Preserve lean muscle mass
  • Reduce cholesterol levels
  • Balance insulin and leptin levels
  • Improve endorphin levels
  • Decrease binge-eating/cravings
  • Improve growth hormone levels
  • Stimulate gut regeneration
  • Promote longevity
  • Reduce inflammation
  • Stimulate immune system cells

Furthermore, intermittent fasting helps the body induce autophagy, a natural process in which damaged cells self-destruct and cellular components are reused for new, properly functioning cells.

“Think of it as our body’s innate recycling program,” says Dr. Colin Champ, M.D., a radiation oncologist at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “Autophagy makes us more efficient machines to get rid of faulty parts, stop cancerous growths, and stop metabolic dysfunction like obesity and diabetes.”

Risks of Fasting

It’s important to note that any fasting should be taken under the guidance of a qualified nutritionist and monitored for progress or regression. If nutrition and fasting is a stressful undertaking, the cost will outweigh the benefits. Every individual has specific dietary needs that vary, and for patients with advanced disease who may already be depleted of energy, the priority must be to build up the body before beginning a fasting program. No matter what your diagnosis, the possibility of enhanced risks and diminished benefits should always be considered.

Potential risks of fasting include:

  • Dehydration
  • Increase in stress levels
  • Disrupted sleep
  • Headaches
  • Heartburn
  • May trigger eating disorders/binge-eating
  • Lack of optimal nutrient consumption

Fasting is potentially dangerous for individuals with emotional or psychological eating disorders, and particularly risky for individuals who are underweight, under 18, pregnant, recovering from surgery, or have type I diabetes.

Fasting and Spirituality

At this point, we can understand the physical effects of fasting, but what about the spiritual? At Hope4Cancer, we treat cancer as the physical expression of underlying emotional, mental, or spiritual struggles, so how does fasting affect these roots?

Fasting affects each facet of our body, soul, and spirit, and is in fact a common practice in many religions. From a biblical perspective, fasting isn’t about diet, but rather an expression of our hunger for God above all things. Bypassing food is a method of self-discipline that allows us to detach from physical requirements and focus more energy in prayer, drawing us closer to spiritual clarity.

If you are considering a fast, we encourage you to let your decision be guided by the Holy Spirit. Listen to your intuition when deciding if fasting is right for you or whether it is the right time for your body to undertake. If for medical reasons you cannot fast, consider abstaining from something else to spend more time seeking God. Many patients choose to fast from coffee, or even non-food related things, such as TV and digital devices.

Final Tips for Fasting

Only when we combine the spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of our being can we truly heal completely. Fasting has the unique ability to span across each of these dimensions in the healing process. If you feel that fasting resonates with your body and you are able to safely fast under the guidance of a medical practitioner, we leave you with a few final fasting tips:

  1. Plan your fast ahead of time
  2. Consider your schedule
  3. Tell only the people you must
  4. Wean yourself off caffeine
  5. Disconnect from distractions
  6. Beware of your emotions
  7. Get ample rest
  8. Keep yourself physically active
  9. Practice being still
  10. Focus on God!


*mouse study source here

7 thoughts on “Fasting and Cancer: Unlocking Your Innate Healing Power

  1. Thank you for making this available. I have been aware of the benefits of fasting for some time and practice it on a daily basis, generally 18 to 24 hours. It is amazing how once the liver catches on to what’s happening, then it quite easily slips into ketosis. I primarily read through your material to see if was worth sending to some friends who are unaware of the health benefits derived from fasting and diet changes. I don’t know how much space I have to write, so will cut it short, but my concern is for a friend who has gone through chemo and her 6,7 months is up and they want to poison her some more and I want to give her an alternative treatment source. Can you help?

  2. I would like to know more about your clinics and any financial aide available. I am navigating breast cancer metastasis to bones and liver.

  3. I need help….. diagnosed July 26 with colon cancer that has spread to the liver. Received one round of chemo and about to start my second round. I’m wanting something different maybe… not really sure but more than willing to try just about anything at this time of my life. If anybody’s out there, I sure can use your help.

    1. Hello Rick.

      I am so sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. I would recommend setting up a free phone consultation with our team. Simply visit https://hope4cancer.com/schedule-a-call/ and fill out a few short questions. Once completed, you do have the option to book your own appointment time with an Admissions Counselor. If you do not book your own appointment, a member from our team will be calling as soon as possible. You are also welcome to call into our offices during business hours, Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM PST, Saturday 9AM-. US # 1.888.544.5993 / International #: +1.619.669.6511

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *