Short-term fasting may boost immune defenses and make cancer treatments more effective.
Research has found that cancer patients can reshape their metabolisms and accelerate cancer cell death (apoptosis) by simulating fasting for five days alongside regular treatment. Radiation oncologist Liao Zhiying noted on NTDTV’s “Health 1+1” program that intermittent fasting or simulated fasting can activate the body’s antitumor immunity and weaken the survival capability of cancer cells, which has potential in cancer prevention and as a complementary treatment.
How Diet Can Strengthen Immune Cell Function
To support their rapid growth, cancer cells consume a large amount of glucose and generate energy through anaerobic respiration, but they also rely on nutrients such as fatty acids and amino acids. Therefore, Liao suggested that adjusting the diet to influence metabolism could be a feasible strategy. Even though it might not be able to completely block cancer cells from obtaining sugar, fatty acids, and proteins—because these are also nutrients required by normal cells—modifying the proportion, content, and timing of the diet can help the body to activate its own defense mechanism.
During dietary adjustments that limit energy supply, normal cells have the ability to undergo cellular breakdown or autophagy—a process that allows cells to clean out waste and repair themselves. These are especially beneficial attributes for enhancing immune cell function. In contrast, cancer cells are more susceptible to damage because of problems with their mitochondria—the parts of cells that produce energy—and they cannot adapt easily to metabolic stress, making them more likely to be eliminated during chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy.
