The ketogenic diet (keto) is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, moderate-protein diet designed to shift the body’s metabolism from glucose dependence to fat-derived ketone bodies for energy. According to Dr. Thomas Seyfried, this metabolic state, known as nutritional ketosis, can help starve cancer cells, which rely heavily on fermentable fuels like glucose and glutamine for growth. By restricting carbohydrates, keto reduces blood glucose and insulin levels, creating an unfavorable environment for cancer cells while supporting normal cells’ survival through oxidative metabolism.

Seyfried’s Press-Pulse Therapy is a therapeutic approach that combines chronic metabolic stress (“press”)—such as sustained ketosis and calorie restriction—with acute, targeted metabolic interventions (“pulse”), like hyperbaric oxygen therapy, specific drugs, or fasting-mimicking cycles. The idea is to weaken cancer cells by pressing them into metabolic stress and then delivering a strategic “pulse” to further impair their survival mechanisms. This approach aims to exploit cancer’s metabolic vulnerabilities, potentially reducing tumor growth while minimizing damage to healthy cells.