Breast cancer is the disease most women fear most. An abundance of published research links high-normal blood sugar levels to increased breast cancer risk.
In a recent issue of Life Extension magazine (Feb. 2013), an analysis of the scientific literature was published. Of 12 separate studies identified, nine showed an association between higher fasting “normal” blood sugars and higher breast cancer risk.
For example, premenopausal women with a fasting blood sugar above 84mg/dL, (normal range is 65-100), had more than two times the risk of developing breast cancer compared to those with a blood sugar below that number.
In another study involving more than 10,000 women in Italy, it was found that women in the highest glucose “quartile” (average 96mg/dL) had a 63 percent increased risk for breast cancer compared to those in the lowest “quartile”(average 73mg/dL) after being fully adjusted for multiple variables. The authors stated, “we found that elevated fasting glucose levels were significantly associated with subsequent occurrence of breast cancer in both pre and post-menopausal women.”
High-normal blood sugar is a leading cause of premature death overlooked by mainstream doctors today. Most people with these high-normal blood sugars are not diagnosed with diabetes, but just by having a fasting sugar above 85mg/dL, their risk of death from cardiovascular disease increases by 40 percent. This is according to a long term study of close to 2,000 people.
A large body of published scientific research documented that people with higher “after meal” glucose spikes have sharply increased risks for diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, kidney failure, retinal damage and vascular blockages.
So…what to do? You can start by reducing the ingestion of simple sugars and starches, while eating a higher protein, lower carbohydrate diet. High sugar foods are being cited as the “tobacco issue” of the 21st century. A growing body of evidence indicates this just might come true!
Use of the prescription drug Metformin (as discussed in one of my past articles) can lower blood sugar levels by impeding excess production of glucose in the liver and improving insulin sensitivity. The down side is you have to get a prescription from your doctor and most of them won’t prescribe it to “healthy” people. The good news is that close to the same effects can be accomplished by taking green tea extract, green coffee bean extract, chromium, vanadium and lipoic acid.
One study showed that consumption of 12 cups of coffee daily shows similar benefits, but then there is the issue of all that caffeine!
Dr. Bob Eslinger, Reno Integrative Medical Center