Small molecules in plant-based foods may reduce efficacy of anti-cancer drugs (Soybeans and legumes)

Medical Xpress / Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research / ^ | May 21, 2025 | Asael Roichman et al

[ConservativeMind]

A study has uncovered a surprising link between diet, intestinal microbes and the efficacy of cancer therapy.

The study could help explain why drugs known as PI3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitors—which disrupt an abnormally activated biochemical signaling pathway that spurs cancer cell proliferation—haven't led to consistent, durable cancer control in patients with solid tumors.

The Rabinowitz lab and others have shown that ketogenic diets dramatically enhance responses to cancer drugs in preclinical mouse models of cancer. Such diets are rich in fat and very low in carbohydrates like starch and sugar, and their enhancement of therapeutic responses was thought to be linked to their tendency to lower insulin and blood sugar levels. The researchers were therefore surprised when mice fed certain high-carbohydrate diets responded well to PI3K inhibitors in their experiment.

Digging into this unexpected result, they found that the keto diet's enhancement of responses to PI3K inhibitors had little to do with carbs, fat, blood sugar or insulin.

The ketogenic food consumed by mice in preclinical studies is a highly processed formulation lacking the complex mix of plant-derived chemicals (phytochemicals), especially from legumes and soy, that are present in standard chow. It turned out that gut microbes break down phytochemicals, namely soyasaponins derived from soybeans, into molecules that induce the expression of a detoxifying liver enzyme, cytochrome P450.

Experiments revealed elevated production of these hepatic enzymes in the chow-fed mice led to rapid clearance of PI3K inhibitors, reducing the anti-cancer efficacy of the regimen. In line with these findings, the researchers demonstrated that a high-carbohydrate but low-phytochemical diet—as well as antibiotics that suppressed the gut microbiome—enhanced PI3K inhibitor activity in the mice.

"These findings suggest that some plant-based diets, through their interactions with gut microbes, may lower cancer drug exposure by ramping up the body's drug clearance systems," said Roichman.

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TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: cancer; cancerdrugs; diet; food; keto; legumes; soybeans

[ConservativeMind]

Legumes and soybeans made people clear out anti-cancer drugs very quickly. This happened because gut bacteria converted a substance they have, soyasaponins, into molecules that cause our liver to detoxify the anti-cancer drugs.

[ConservativeMind]

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[Veto!]

Tofu is made from soybeans.

I eat sauted organic Tofu for dinner twice a week. Slice it up and sauté in EVOO, pour a little Trader Joe Sweet Chili Saiuce to give it some flavor. Been doing this for years.

Just had colon cancer test at my MD’s office. I’m fine.

[Taffini]

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[tired&retired]

The legumes work far better than soybeans as soybeans have phyto-estrogens that complicate the process and cause inflammation.

The legumes work best, but must be processed correctly. Heating above 104 degrees degrades the enzymes that are most beneficial.

I’ve been conducting research on this right now by providing samples of these enzymes I made to people in capsule form. It’s considered a food supplement, not a drug.The results have been absolutely amazing.

This directly relates to your most recent article you posted on serotonin and cancer.