At Oasis of Hope Hospital in Tijuana, Mexico, patients receive comprehensive cancer care including alternative therapies. Many treatment plans for Oasis of Hope Hospital patients include nutritional cancer therapy, which can help to address the levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the body.
Insulin-like growth factor-1, or IGF-1, is a hormone that exists in the human body to facilitate healthy growth in children. When it is present at high levels in the adult body, however, it stimulates the growth of the epithelial tissue at a rate that supports the growth of certain cancers. At the same time, it suppresses the natural process that eliminates mutated cells from the body, thus further supporting the growth of cancers.
A number of studies confirm that IGF-1 correlates with increased cancer risk. These include a study done by Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the Harvard School of Public Health, which collaborated to find that nurses with high levels of IGF-1 had a 250 percent greater risk of developing colorectal cancer, while those with high levels of IGFBP-3, a protein that binds IGF-1, had the lowest risk for the disease. A second study focusing on a male population, meanwhile, found a 400 percent risk increase in participants with high IGF-1 levels.
IGF-1 is prevalent in individuals with diets rich in saturated fats, particularly if those individuals also maintain a relatively sedentary lifestyle. These elements increase insulin resistance in the muscles and increase the production of insulin, while slowing its removal, which in turn increases IGF-1 levels in the blood. Experts suggest that a plant-based diet with moderate protein levels may counteract IGF-1 concentrations and reduce one's risk of developing related cancers.
Insulin-like growth factor-1, or IGF-1, is a hormone that exists in the human body to facilitate healthy growth in children. When it is present at high levels in the adult body, however, it stimulates the growth of the epithelial tissue at a rate that supports the growth of certain cancers. At the same time, it suppresses the natural process that eliminates mutated cells from the body, thus further supporting the growth of cancers.
A number of studies confirm that IGF-1 correlates with increased cancer risk. These include a study done by Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the Harvard School of Public Health, which collaborated to find that nurses with high levels of IGF-1 had a 250 percent greater risk of developing colorectal cancer, while those with high levels of IGFBP-3, a protein that binds IGF-1, had the lowest risk for the disease. A second study focusing on a male population, meanwhile, found a 400 percent risk increase in participants with high IGF-1 levels.
IGF-1 is prevalent in individuals with diets rich in saturated fats, particularly if those individuals also maintain a relatively sedentary lifestyle. These elements increase insulin resistance in the muscles and increase the production of insulin, while slowing its removal, which in turn increases IGF-1 levels in the blood. Experts suggest that a plant-based diet with moderate protein levels may counteract IGF-1 concentrations and reduce one's risk of developing related cancers.