Polycythemia Vera and Nutritional Ketosis

Hello @thlas1971. While we wait for others to share their experience with the ketogenic diet and their PV, would you mind sharing a bit more about your experiences with the diet overall? Has it been helping you in your everyday health? If you fast 16-18 hours a day, do you just eat one meal?

I am suspecting I'll be soon officially diagnosed with PV. I'm JAK2 and blood numbers trending up over the past 18 months. Dr ordering another set of labs today. I am already on a ketogenic diet and do intermittent fasting. Occasionally 24 hours but almost always a 16-18 hour fast daily. Originally began doing that to help my brain as I am also APOE4 positive (high risk for Alzheimer's). Any ideas if fasting and autophagy are beneficial to PV?

That was supposed to be beans. Spell check

Starting this diet has made me aware of what all is put in our food. And what we are told is healthy. It's no wonder any other diet I tried failed. They put sugar on french fries in yogurt and tell you it's good for you. Reading lables has opened my eyes. I am eating things I've been told all my life would make me fat or is unhealthy. I pretty sure I have been lied to all my life. I miss bread but think that was one of the biggest evils along with added sugar. And part of the rules to this diet is if you can not pronounce it you can't eat it. No gmo's either. Hunt or gather except been which includes peanuts miss my peanut butter. But all the benefits it is hard for me to want to change my new life style.

My doc is on board by the way I forgot to mention that since I have started down this road my Doctor had been able to take me off my blood pressure meds! He likes the drop in weight and blood pressure. He is still after me about my smoking. I smoke a pack in two or three days. It's an improvement but I need to drop them all together. And no longer need to use my sleep apnea machine. I forgot about that pain I no longer need. I am the poster child for the Paleo diet. These changes happened slowly so I forget sometimes how much my life has changed.

You should consult with your doctor before going down this path for sure. In a nutshell, a diet that is very low in sugars and carbohydrates will cause you to go into a state of nutritional ketosis. I strive to consume less than a teaspoon worth of sugar in the morning before my midday meal (4g of carbohydrate is roughly equivalent to a teaspoon of sugar) and then throughout the rest of the day I just try to minimize my carbohydrate and sugar intake. I would strongly encourage you to seek out the advice of a qualified medical professional like a bariatric specialist. Nutritional ketosis diets are not necessarily safe for everyone so definitely consult your doctor first.

Thanks for sharing your results with us. I don't know if there is a correlation between nutritional ketosis and slower generation of the red blood cells, but I do find it interesting that more than one of us has experienced this.

I was diagnosed about a year and a half ago with PV. Have had phlebotomy performed every two weeks. I had started on the Paleo diet and have gone into a state of ketosis resulting in a loss of 80 lbs and general inprovments in over all health. Recently my red blood cell count has been low enough to for go the treatment!!! I noticed my numbers are better after I consume a whole pineapple the day before. Only twice but not getting stuck is a great day. I don't know if there is a correlation between the eating of pineapple and my numbers but it sure has me thinking. I will probably be eating pineapple in a fortnight. Was wondering if any body else has experienced any thing like this my numbers usually run in the 60s but my doc has my drained if I am over 55. Today I was at 41 the lowest it has been in a since I started treatment. The Paleo diet is hard to give up so much but I eat all I want. And I eat alot and the weight keeps dropping.

Could you please advise what is the Nutritional Ketosis diet, please share details to follow.

Hi ...
I am Eldho

After checking CBC test in April/2018 my HB level (21.3) is increasing and the advice from doctor i have removed 6 unit blood with in 3 month, now HB is 16.2, i am 36 years old and 64kg (69Kg in April). I need your help and advice, which type of food i can had to control the HB level (available fresh olive & olive oils & most of vegs. & fruits and white rise and all type of Arabic & Chinese food), basically i am Indian & live in Jordan from the last 10 years.