Re-Understanding Diabetes
Part 3: The Diabetes- Cancer Connection
In parts one and two of this series we delved into re-understanding diabetes and dismantling much of what we were taught. In this final part of the series, I will explain the commonalities of diabetes and cancer. If you missed part two, you can read that part of the series here:
If you’ve read some of my other articles, you know that I don’t really believe in “disease” in the way the mainstream conventional medicine would like us to believe. I, believe in “dis-ease:” a state of imbalance in the body caused by toxicity, deficiency, or a combination of both. Metabolic dis-ease isn’t something we catch, they are dis-eases our bodies create. Epigenetics shows us that our grandparents and parents can play a role in how/if our bodies create these dis-eases. Thankfully, epigenetics also shows us that genes play a small role in our health (1).
Now we have already covered what diabetes really is in part one and two of the series, but what about cancer?
Cancer, just like developing diabetes, is an immune response. One often brought on by diet, lifestyle, environmental toxins and/or stress. The weakened immune system eventually leads to DNA damage and then in turn creates chronic cell fermentation resulting in tumor growth and metastasis (spread from one area of the body to another).
The immune response is the first commonality between cancer and diabetes. The second one being inflammation. This one can get a little tricky since both cancer and diabetes are fueled by inflammation, but at the same time, both cause inflammation in the body. This is why so many people who have diabetes and/or cancer, do well on a colorful whole food diet that is high in plant food, and who either eat wild caught fish or supplement with a high-quality Omega-3 (2, 3, 4, 5). To learn more about inflammation and its' pathways, click here.
Many studies have found that those who have diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, are at increased risk of cancer (6, 7). Problems common in diabetes, such as high insulin levels, chronic inflammation, high blood sugar, more lifestyle and diet, are all known to increase the risk of cancer. Furthermore, there is evidence that high blood sugar levels can increase the risk of damage to DNA (8).
In part two I discussed how insulin resistance and excess insulin happens. Having a high amount of insulin in your blood is called, hyperinsulinemia. When this alone happens, your risk for cancer increases. Why? Because insulin is a powerful growth signal that alerts your tissues, thus increasing your risk of tumor growth and metastasis.
So, let’s quickly revisit what diabetes and cancer have in common: altered immune response, inflammation, and unhealthy diet and lifestyle. You might be wondering, what is the solution then? Well, it won’t be found in a pharmaceutical drug. Big pharma isn’t in the business of “curing". A pill will never get to the root cause of the dis-ease. Utilizing functional lab test options, eating a proper diet, exercising, reducing stress and inflammation, those are all great starts to preventing and rebalancing your body.
If you are looking for the best functional lab tests for you, or recommendations on how to start living a more toxin-free life, feel free to visit my website or send me an email: balancedvitality4oh@gmail.com. I’d be happy to help guide you on your health journey!
Resources
Cancer is a Preventable Disease that Requires Major Lifestyle Changes - PMC (nih.gov)
Plant-Based Diets and Cancer Prognosis: a Review of Recent Research - PubMed (nih.gov)
A plant-based diet for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes - PMC (nih.gov)
Diabetes and cancer: What you should know | MD Anderson Cancer Center
The Relationship Between Diabetes Mellitus and Cancers and Its Underlying Mechanisms - PMC (nih.gov)
High Glucose Increases DNA Damage and Elevates the Expression of Multiple DDR Genes - PMC (nih.gov)