Cancer and Serum Insulin Levels

I was reading some medical research reports today http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11773152  They show that women have a greater chance of breast cancer, and men have greater chance of enlarge prostrate (which sometimes leads to prostate cancer http://www.oncolink.org/resources/article.cfm?c=3&s=8&ss=23&Year=2009&Month=8&id=16422) based on the serum insulin levels after fasting.  When fasting for 6 to 8 hrs, insulin should be very low or non-existent.  High serum insulin levels after lengthy fasting would indicate that you have high insulin levels 24 hrs per day.  Every cell is constantly bathed in insulin.  All cells have receptors for insulin and other hormones.  High insulin levels after fasting would indicate insulin resistance.

For prostate cancer, fasting insulin levels correlated with 2.5 times the risk for prostate cancer.  Ouch!  For 100,000 men, this means the difference between 154 to 354 men getting prostate cancer.  That's significant in my books.

Lowering carbohydrate consumption should lower insulin levels.

Unfortunately, for those who have over-consumed carbs for too long, for some there is no turning back.  They have a positive feedback mechanism, like a car coming down a mountain road with no brakes, there is no way to stop.  Eventually, the pancreas gives up, and you become Type II diabetic.

Hopefully, I have achieved awareness and took action before I joined this helpless out-of-control insulin group.

So far, I have lost 28 lbs. and feel great.  I find that dieting the low carb way is very painless.  I have had few to no cravings.

A year ago, if a tray of desserts were somewhere in the building where I was located, I would be endlessly distracted by looking at the sugar desserts, thinking about them, planning on how I could get to the desserts with minimal embarrassment or non-detection.  A lot of mental energy wasted.

Starting about 2 to 3 weeks after joining the low carb society, the cravings were dissipating.  Today, I can look at a tray of my former favorite desserts with the same interest I pay to a pencil on a table.  I see it, take note of it, but it's not of any special interest.

That's quite a change for a guy who used to sneak a shot of pancake maple syrup into my mouth (and then another 10 minutes later, etc.).  I learned the only way I could stop chain eating was to brush my teeth and gargle.  For some reason, that was able to give me relief in the old days.  Now, I no longer need that coping mechanism.