In a message dated 9/11/2007 4:05:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
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In a message dated 9/11/2007 4:01:02 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, Jim Swayze  
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writes:

Insulin's a big suspect, it is true.   But dairy may also be  a  
primary cause of breast cancer.  If you haven't already, read  this  
issue of Dr. Cordain's Paleo Diet newsletter:  http://thepaleodiet.com/  
newsletter/newsletters/PDNCourierVol2No5.pdf

I think there are so many potential causes of cancer that it's impossible to 
say for certain what causes it.  There are also different types of breast 
cancer -- some fueled by estrogen, some not.  Certainly our toxic environment 
likely plays a role as significant if not more so than diet.   
 
Obesity may play a role as well. While association is not causation -- 
post-menopause is the time when many women gain weight and also a time when the 
incidence of female hormonal cancers increase.  Excessive body fat raises certain 
hormone levels and also acts as sort of parasite with respect to certain 
vitamins.  For example, obese people do not absorb vitamin D as well as slim people 
-- the fat stores sequester the vitamin D.  
 
_Decreased bioavailability of vitamin D in obesity -- Wortsman et al. 72 (3): 
690 -- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition_ 
(http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/72/3/690) 
 
Vitamin D is emerging as a critical weapon against many diseases - not just 
cancer -- and yet it's the one thing many women are deficient in because they 
slather on sunscreen 12 months out of the year.  No pill is as good as plain 
old sunshine.
 
Excessive body fat may also create hormonal imbalances.  The late great John 
Yudkin MD wrote of one of his cases -- an obese patient who had all the 
clinical signs of pituitary disfunction.  When he came down to a normal weight via a 
low carb regime -- his clinical symptoms normalized.  Dr. Yudkin felt that it 
wasn't that this man's pituitary gland wasn't functioning properly -- it was 
- but for a man of normal size.  There was simply too much man when he was 
obese and no way for his glands to create sufficient hormones.  I have no idea if 
this theory is valid -- but makes some sense to me because I know that after 
I lost weight, I had to reduce the thyroid hormone medication I take.  Less of 
me requires less thyroid hormone.  
 
Also, diet-resistant obesity may be caused by undiagnosed pituitary tumors.  
Michael Eades MD had an interesting recent blog on this as it relates to obese 
people who cannot lose or even gain despite eating very low calorie diets.  
He feels this condition is very rare -- but that it nonetheless does exist.  
Perhaps these small pituitary tumors that cause obesity also spur cancer growth 
cells?  Just a thought.
 
If eating paleo (tweaked depending upon individual needs ie some can handle 
more carbs, some more fats, some have to reduce calories somewhat and others do 
best with intermittant fasting etc)  keeps a person at a normal weight with 
normal insulin and blood glucose -- then that certainly seems like a good way 
to eat for feeling good and for healing should cancer arise. It also tastes 
darn good.  
 
Regarding the latest Vitamin C scare -- I'm not giving up my vitamin C 
supplements based on that reported study.
 
 



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