IGF-1 and cancer doubts. I've read a few articles and I have a mess in my head.

01-28-2021, 02:56 PM

A few weeks ago I found this article "Animal Protein and the Cancer Promoter IGF-1" (https://nutritionfacts.org/2013/02/14/animal-protein-and-igf-1) where we're explained that the structure of animal protein is easier to metabolize and it makes the body to create more IGF-1. It also establishes the association between this hormone and cancer, so the conclusion we end up with is: we should avoid animal products in order to avoid cancer. But it felt weird for me to hear so I kept researching. I heard that processed meats and red meats are very associated with some cancers so I thought: maybe they have more animal protein and that's the link, but in the article "Red Meat vs. White Meat: Which is Healthier?" it's presented that red and white meats have a similar amount of protein. Not only we can read this but also the differences between these two kinds of meats, mainly: Myoglobin and iron.

I haven't found any relationship between myoglobin, iron, and cancer so I keep researching and I've just read this: "What Does It Do in the Body, and Does It Really Cause Cancer?" In this article it's said:

Some people claim that IGF-1 causes the growth of cancer, because as a growth hormone, its primary function is to make things grow, but the accusation is unfounded. Yes, studies have found an association between very high levels of IGF-1 and some types of cancer, but no study has proven that IGF-1 is the actual cause of the cancer.[xv] Many experts now agree, IGF-1 is not the cause of cancer, but a consequence of it. High IGF-1 can indicate the presence of an undetected tumor, and the higher IGF-1 levels found in cancer patients is likely caused because the tumor is secreting IGF-1. [xvi][xvii] Another explanation for the IGF-1-cancer link, is that IGF-1 plays a prominent role in the regulation of immunity and inflammation and the body may increase IGF-1 levels in response to the immunosuppression and inflammation that cancer causes.[xviii] Also worth noting is the fact that higher IGF-1 levels are associated with less invasive types of breast cancer in women, and low IGF-1 is linked to uterine cancer.[xix]

But they also include:

Dairy and meat boost IGF-1 levels, but we urge you not to consume animal products for this purpose. Omnivores have a much higher risk for cancer, and most other deadly chronic diseases.[xx] Consuming a whole-foods, plant-based diet, that is void of processed oils, and packaged foods is the absolute best way to boost your health and protect yourself from cancer. You can safely increase your IGF-1 levels with plant-based amino acids and soy is one of the most powerful vegan IGF-1 boosters.

I would like to have some explanation about this last paragraph because IDK why they urge us not to consume animal products. I am vegan so I don't eat animal products, but I want to learn about nutrition.

So what is happening IRL with cancer?

01-29-2021, 07:44 AM

Hi patataman,

This is an interesting but somewhat complicated subject and perhaps not too easy to explain.

I learned, back around 2005, from a man who studied animal protein most of his life. A man by the name of Dr. T. Colin Campbell. And the bottom line, according to him, is that IGF1 does not cause cancer, it promotes cancer.

He got started by being a volunteer in a foreign country where he noticed that some young people were dying of liver cancer. It was a poor country and all were eating peanut butter that was donated to give them more protein in their diet. They soon learned that the peanuts contained aflatoxin which is a potent carcinogen.

Dr. Campbell wondered why some were getting cancer and others were not. So he went to interview the families of those who died. What he learned is that those young people who died came from better off families who had some animal protein in their diet.

So, when he came back to the U.S., where he was a professor, he started doing small animal studies. One in particular, that I remember, is where he had about 100 mice. All of the mice were injected with aflotoxin. Then they put 50 mice in one area and 50 in another where they fed them different diets. One group was fed a diet high in casin, a protein from milk. The other group was fed a diet much lower in protein. The result was that all the mice that ate the high protein diet developed cancer. And all the mice in the other group were cancer free at the end of the study.

So the conclusion was that it was not the carcinogen by itself that caused the cancer. It was the animal protein that promoted the cancer after the carcinogen was consumed.

It was not based on just one study. He did several studies on various other animals and it was over a period of a couple of decades. Eventually, he had an opportunity to do a large-scale human population study in China. That lasted about 20+ years. And it was verified that those who consumed the least amount of protein and cholesterol were the healthiest overall. During that time period he published over 100 papers in well known scientific (peer reviewed) journals.

Since that time I have learn more about IGF1, but that's another story that I will save for another time due to time constraints.

IGF-1 and cancer doubts. I've read a few articles and I have a mess in my head.

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