world
MIT Study: High-Fat Ketogenic Diet Increased Small-Intestine Tumors in Cancer-Prone Mice
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported that a ketogenic diet increased tumor growth in the small intestines of cancer-prone mice. The effect was driven by dietary fat activating the PPAR-delta pathway rather than by ketone bodies. The study was published in Nature in 2026.
Jul 17, 6:54 AM·1m read1 source
NewsweekAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
Newsweek reported that a study led by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found a high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet promoted the growth of tumors in the small intestine of mice genetically predisposed to intestinal cancer.
The study was published in Nature. The researchers fed cancer-prone mice a ketogenic diet, a standard control diet, or a high-fat, high-calorie diet.
Mice on the ketogenic diet developed more small-intestinal tumors than those on the other diets. The tumor-promoting effect was driven by large quantities of dietary fat, not by ketone bodies. Lipids from the diet activated a cellular signaling pathway known as PPAR-delta, which enhanced the activity of intestinal stem cells.
These cells renew the gut lining and can serve as the starting point for tumors when mutations occur. The ketogenic diet was originally developed to treat epilepsy. An International Food Information Council survey found that 7 percent of U.S.
Adults were following a ketogenic diet in 2022. Previous studies had suggested ketogenic diets might help protect against colon cancer. The findings were observed in mice genetically susceptible to intestinal cancer, not in healthy humans.
It was published in 2026 in Nature, pages 1–10, with DOI 10.1038/s41586-026-10779-y. , Shalek, A.K. H. The researchers noted that more work is needed to determine whether the same mechanisms occur in people.
