Cancer and Insulin

The role of insulin in tumors/cancer development 

If you can reduce insulin levels, you may slow cancer growth.

• Insulin increases the transport of glucose into the tumor/cancer cells to meet the high demand for energy, as they need a lot of energy for their anaerobic growth. 
• PI3K, a lipid kinase enzyme, is easily activated by insulin. PI 3-kinase activity contributes significantly to the development of cancer.
• Insulin inhibits FOXO and GS expression by FOXO1 suggests that FOXO1 signaling may facilitate ammonia detoxification {ref} so it's possible that elevated insulin compromises ammonia detoxification.
• The dopamine D2-receptor-mediated control of the insulin/PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 signalling pathway activation {ref}

Fructose from fruit "stimulates only modest insulin secretion and does not require the presence of insulin to enter cells"{study}. If you have cancer it's safe to eat fruit. Fruit is healthy and some fruits have potent anticancer compounds: 

• berries: bilberry, cranberry (ursolic acid), maqui berry, elderberry, acai berry, blueberry, raspberry(ellagic acid), strawberry.
• Graviola
• summer grape
• lemon (should be yellow, not green and unripe)
• pomegranate
• apples
• fruits that contain natural digestive enzymes🛈: pineapples, papayas, mangoes, kiwifruit
• watermelon
• tangerine
• grapefruit
• many more

How to decrease elevated insulin levels?

1. Reduce stress: Under stressful conditions, cortisol provides the body with glucose. Too much
   stress causes chronically elevated cortisol. 
2. Cinnamon + ginger: A comparison of the effects of cinnamon, ginger, and metformin consumption on metabolic health, anthropometric indices, and sexual hormone levels in women with poly cystic ovary syndrome: A randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial {study}
3. Quercetin + ginger {ref}
4. Glycaemic response to starch-rich meals can be reduced by 20-50% with acidic drinks or foods.{ref}
5. Magnesium {study}
6. Maqui-berry extract/Delphinidin {study}
7. Moderate Food Portions
8. Choose foods that have a low or medium Glycemic Load (GL< 20): Glycemic load of foods
9. Exercise: blood insulin levels drop during light to moderate exercise.
10. Salacia: this herb can lower insulin levels in a manner similar to prescription drugs.{study}
11. Salvia militiorrhiza
12. Blueberries: clinical studies show blueberries balance blood sugar.
13. Herbs: Stinging nettle, Panax, Fenugreek, Gymnema (helps with sugar cravings)
14. Aloe vera {ref}
15. Bromocriptine and insulin secretion {ref}
16. Berberine

image source

How to Monitor Glucose Levels at Home

• Google: how to monitor glucose levels 
• Bing: how to monitor glucose levels at home
• The Best Glucometers of 2018
• K’Watch Glucose

HbA1c Calculator

The calculator enables the conversion of HbA1c values from % (NGSP) to mmol/mol (IFCC) and vice versa. In addition, average blood glucose levels can be converted from mg/dL to mmol/L. By insertion of any value all other fields will update automatically.

https://www.hba1cnet.com/hba1c-calculator/

References & Resources

• Glycation of collagen matrices promotes breast tumor cell invasion - Young Joon Suh, Matthew S Hall, Yu Ling Huang So Youn Moon, Wei Song, Minglin Ma, Lawrence J Bonassar, Jeffrey E Segall, Mingming Wu
• https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_is_the_role_of_insulin_in_tumors_cancer_development
• http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Indian-herb-cuts-insulin-blood-sugar-levels
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10683091
• http://www.healthdietandwellness.com/fitness/how-does-exercise-affect-insulin-and-blood-glucose-levels/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2901047/
• https://www.vitalchoice.com/article/berries-seen-to-balance-blood-sugar
• http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/06/short-term-fasting-may-improve-health
• https://www.dharmaparenting.com/modern-research-on-cinnamon/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1892698
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4351933/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4646875/
• Suppression of insulin feedback enhances the efficacy of PI3K inhibitors
• The most useful medicinal herbs to treat diabetes
• Acai Extract Transiently Upregulates Erythropoietin by Inducing a Renal Hypoxic Condition in Mice
• Glycemia, starch, and sugar in context
• https://flabfix.com/how-to-repair-dopamine-receptors/