When my daughter was diagnosed with leukemia, after the first horrible months of treatment, I wanted to know everything I could about cancer and causes of cancer. This made me feel as if I could fight back once I had gained these understandings. Below are simplified versions of medical studies that give you information and theories regarding causes and/or links to several types of cancer.
IGF-1 Explained
All pregnant mammals produce a growth hormone that is called IGF-1. The purpose of this hormone is to help the offspring grow as fast as possible. Obviously the smaller the offspring the more prone it is to dangers from predators. Therefore all forms of milk contain growth hormones for the purpose of the calf to grow quickly. Milk, even organic milk naturally has IGF-1. Cheese in all forms is concentrated milk, which then means there is more IGF-1 per serving.
Brain Cancer in Children, a Theory
IGF-1 is a naturally occurring growth hormone in individual development of a living thing, all sequence of transformations from birth to end of life. It plays a key role in brain development. High levels of IGF-1 have been strongly suggested to be involved in brain tumor origination and growth. There are suggested studies of the link between IGF-1 and astr0cytoma and medulloblastoma. [1] The author of this study also discusses the implication of birth weight and gestational diabetes with IGF-1 levels in babies.
Breast Cancer and IGF1
Circulating IGF-1 is positively associated with breast-cancer risk. [2]
IGF-1 Linked to Colon, Lung, Breast and Prostate cancers
BRISTOL, UNITED KINGDOM. Several studies have shown powerful associations between blood levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) and the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer, and premenopausal breast cancer. As a matter of fact, recent evidence indicates that high IGF-1 levels may be more important than other previously reported risk factors for cancer. IGF-1 is released by human growth hormone and stimulates growth throughout fetal and child development. IGF-1 in the body is normally tightly bound to a large protein molecule (IGF binding protein-3) and there is evidence that high levels of IGF binding protein-3 protect against the development of certain cancers. A distinguished group of medical researchers at the University of Bristol now voice concern about the increasing use of IGF-1 and growth hormone enhancers by body builders and elderly people trying to recapture their vanishing youth. They suggest that IGF-1 may increase both cell turnover and the susceptibility of cells to become cancerous. They also point to recent evidence that indicates that IGF-1 prevents the programmed death (apoptosis) of cancer cells. The researchers warn that people using growth hormone and IGF-1 enhancers are unlikely to be aware of their potentially harmful effects. The pharmaceutical industry is well aware of the increasingly clear association between IGF-1 and cancer. Chemotherapeutic drugs are being developed to block the activity of IGF-1 or enhance the activity of IGF binding protein-3. [3]
Based upon these studies it is my opinion that stopping the consumption of all dairy products is a good cancer preventative measure. Humans are the only species on planet earth that consumes milk after the baby stage of life.
Lung, Breast and Colon Cancer
The American Dietetic Association journal found that increase milk consumption lead to a 10% increase in IGF-1 levels in blood. It clearly makes the link between IGF-1 and cancer of the lung, breast and colon. This study also points out that serum IGF-1 levels are higher in women who drink a lot of milk and states “this association raises the possibility that diet could increase cancer risk by increasing levels of IGF-1 in the blood stream.” The American Dietetic Assn journal study found the consumption of three glasses of milk per day increased serum IGF-1 by about 10% compared to those who did not drink milk. [4]
Prostate Cancer
The results from this study show that IGF-1 is a key regulator of the invasive potential of DU145 prostate cancer cells. By virtue of their potent proliferative and anti-apoptotic (stop cell death) effects, the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) have been the subject of long-term scrutiny for their role in tumorigenesis (tumor growth). With regard to prostate cancer in particular, IGF-1 has been shown to stimulate the proliferation of human prostate epithelial cells in culture and to be necessary for normal growth and development of the rat and mouse prostate. Epidemiological studies have established a link between high circulating serum IGF-1 levels and the risk of later developing advanced prostate cancer, and overexpression of IGF-1 in the prostate basal epithelial layer of transgenic mice results in prostate adenocarcinoma that is similar to human disease. Thus, IGF-1 action appears to be important for prostate cancer initiation. [5]
Milk Propaganda
It is my belief that we have lived a life of constant brain washing from advertisements promoting the health benefits of milk and cheese. If you were to ask a person if milk is healthy, a high percentage of respondents would reply with a resounding yes. Meanwhile these quoted studies state the exact opposite. These same studies are not discussing the other medications these cows are given along with added hormones to increase milk production. Here is a website completely devoted to this subject at www.notmilk.com If you do not want to read more information then please watch this video that is very hard hitting with an incredible amount of information in a short amount of time. Here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMHvMAUDHj4
I have tried to make this article as short as possible but I would like you to go to one more link, which shows the politics involved with this subject of added hormones in milk. Eli Lilly and Monsanto along with the FDA are all in collusion together to keep milk labels misleading and allow these criminal practices to continue. Don’t believe me, just click this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovine_somatotropin
The United States is the only developed nation to permit humans to drink milk from cows given artificial growth hormone.[1] Posilac was banned from use in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and most of Europe, by 2000 or earlier.
In the United States, public opinion has caused a number of products and retailers to become rBST-free. Thus trying to make it seem as if these milk products are safer when they are not! ALL DAIRY PRODUCTS CONTAIN NATURAL GROWTH HORMONES THAT WERE INTENDED FOR THEIR OFFSPRING. THESE NATURAL HORMONES HAVE A STRONG LINK TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT CANCERS.
Please go to this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovine_somatotropin and read all about the politics on this subject.
Alternatives to Dairy
Coconut Milk is now sold in grocery stores and health food stores. It is delicious and creamy. If one does not like coconut flavor then Almond milk is another option. There are also rice milks. Unfortunately substitute cheese products are not safe either per T. Colin Campbell in his book the China Study, he links the milk protein casein to cancer. When I read the non-dairy cheese product labels I found that all of them are made with casein. There are no fake cheese options that I know of. This same author suggests removing all milk products from the diet for a minimum of two months, allowing enough time to see a change.
I use coconut oil instead of butter and was delighted when my blood pressure and cholesterol went down within a couple of months of no longer using butter. I know, this probably sounds terrible to you. I had a hard time with it too because I have always loved butter. Seeing my daughter go through grueling cancer treatments gave me the impetus to really try this dietary change and honestly, I am very happy with it. Now butter does not taste good any more.
It is very easy to substitute olive oil for butter when making gravy. Since I use my own chicken stock the gravy still comes out tasting delicious.
Our dairy free Ice cream is now a product made by So Delicious that really carries through on its name. I had family members do a blind taste test of this ice cream and they were completely shocked to find out it was dairy free. Please give this a try. There are many articles on the health benefits of coconut that may be worth your time investigating.
Here’s to your health!
~
References:
1. Birth Weight and Subsequent Risk of Childhood Primary Brain Tumors: Discussion
Thomas Harder,1 Andreas Plagemann,1 and Anja Harder 2 1Clinic of Obstetrics, Research Group “Experimental Obstetrics,” Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany. 2Institute of Neuropathology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany
2. Lancet Oncol. 2010 Jun;11(6):530-42. Epub 2010 May 14. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP3), and breast cancer risk: pooled individual data analysis of 17 prospective studies. Endogenous Hormones and Breast Cancer Collaborative Group, Key TJ, Appleby PN, Reeves GK, Roddam AW.
3. Smith, George Davey, et al. Cancer and insulin-like growth factor-I. British Medical Journal, Vol. 321, October 7, 2000, pp. 847-48 (editorial)
4. HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES Growth Factor Raises Cancer Risk By William J. Cromie Gazette Staff April 22, 1999
5. The results from this study show that IGF-1 is a key regulator of the invasive potential of DU145 prostate cancer cells. Role of IGF-1/IGF-1R in regulation of invasion in DU145 prostate cancer cells. Zeina Saikali1,3 , Hemani Setya1,3 , Gurmit Singh1,3 and Sujata Persad1,2,4 1 Department of Research, Juravinski Cancer Centre, Hamilton, Canada 2 Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada 3 Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada 4 Presently at: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada