Are you willing to let go of the idea that restricting something is always the solution? (Part 4/4)

A 4-Part Reality Check on Keto and Cancer

"Every one of us is losing something precious to us. Lost opportunities, lost possibilities, feelings we can never get back again. That’s part of what it means to be alive." — Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

Murakami didn’t start out as a writer. He wasn’t an athlete. He was a jazz bar owner in Tokyo, serving drinks late into the night, absorbing the hum of conversations and the rhythm of music. Then, one day, sitting in Jingu Stadium watching a baseball game, he had a realization—he should write a novel.

He started writing in the quiet hours after work, unsure of whether it would lead anywhere. Later, after he had become an acclaimed author, he did something unexpected again: he started running, not for the sake of competition or fitness. But for the joy of movement, listening to the music insight as he moved, the magic of thoughts he later transcribed on paper, teaching all of us a lesson on perseverance in the face of uncertainty.

That same mindset is what Part 1, 2, and 3 of my series on "should you try keto for cancer?" has explored: the way we cling to simplified answers about cancer and metabolism, and the reality that true survival comes from adaptation, not just restriction.

• Part 1 unpacked the Warburg Effect—the idea that cancer cells rely on glucose—but also the inconvenient truth that many tumors can adapt to other fuels, like ketones. [Read Part 1 Here https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7297668128249958400/ ]
• Part 2 examined the statistical illusions in many dietary studies, exposing how relative risk percentages and metabolic markers often distract from the real question—do patients actually live longer? [Read Part 2 Here https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7297933609112391682/]
• Part 3 put keto side by side with something more powerful: muscle strength and fitness. While keto remains experimental, physical fitness has strong, real-world data showing it improves actual survival rates in cancer patients. [Read Part 3 Here https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7298337541215170560/]

So, here in Part 4, the final question remains: should you try keto for cancer?

The Art of Holding On vs. Letting Go

Murakami’s story is one of transformation because he let go of who he was to become something new. The same applies to how we approach cancer interventions. Are we holding onto an idea because it makes sense in theory, or are we willing to embrace what actually works?

The ketogenic diet alters tumor metabolism, but the data on survival is weak. Cancer is not static. It adapts. And while cutting carbs seems like a powerful intervention, many tumors can find other energy sources, making keto part of a temporary strategy at best.

Contrast that with building physical resilience—which has strong data on survival benefits. It’s perhaps not as sexy. It’s most certainly not a hack. But it works.

This isn’t to say that keto has no role. It might be helpful in certain cancers, in specific cases, and always under medical supervision. But as a sweeping strategy, the science isn’t there yet. If the goal is to increase survival, there’s far stronger evidence for exercise, fitness, and overall metabolic health.

So the real question is not should you try keto, but rather: Are you willing to let go of the idea that restricting something is always the solution? And are you open to building something instead?

Because, as Murakami found in both writing and running, what matters isn’t just subtraction—it’s endurance.

"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional."