from William Faloon, Luke Huber, ND, and Kira Schmid, ND
With 12% of all American women destined to develop a breast tumor, taking preventative steps make sense, especially if the same approach also slashes risk of dementia and heart attack…and helps shed fat pounds.
An abundance of published research links high-normal blood glucose levels to increased breast cancer risk. This article reviews the evidence and emphasizes the importance of maintaining glucose at safe low-normal ranges.
Compelling Findings
Life Extension®’s analysis of 12 independent studies identified strong data suggesting increased breast cancer risk amongst women with so-called “normal” blood glucose levels. For example, premenopausal women with a blood sugar above 84 mg/dL had more than two-times the risk of developing breast cancer compared to those with a blood sugar below 84 mg/dL.
A study of 10,633 women from Italy found significant relationships between blood sugar levels and breast cancer risk.9 In this study, women in the highest glucose quartile (median 96 mg/dL) had a 63% increased risk for breast cancer compared to those in the lowest quartile (median 73 mg/dL) after being “fully adjusted” for multiple variables. The authors stated in the discussion:
Glucose: Our Modern Day Enemy
High-normal blood glucose is a leading cause of premature death overlooked by mainstream doctors today.
More than 80% of the adult population has blood sugar levels that are too high. Most of these people are not diagnosed with diabetes, but just by having high-normal fasting glucose (over 85 mg/dL), risk of death from cardiovascular disease increases by 40% according to a long-term study conducted on close to 2,000 people.27
This and other studies show that even in otherwise healthy people, those with high-normal glucose are at increased risk of vascular death. For example, those with higher after-meal glucose (for example, 101 mg/dL compared to 83 mg/dL) had a 27% increased risk of death from stroke.
A large body of published scientific research documents that people with higher after-meal glucose spikes have sharply increased risks for most of the diseases we associate with aging such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, kidney failure, retinal damage, and vascular blockages.
Chart 1 on this page shows the horrific consequences when glucose levels are elevated above optimal ranges. (We classify optimal fasting blood sugar as under 86 mg/dL).
Chart 1: Increased Health Risks in People with “Normal” Glucose Levels
| Condition | Glucose Levels (mg/dL) | Increased Risk |
| Developing Type II Diabetes | 100-104 | Up to 283% |
| Stomach Cancer | 95-105 | Up to 130% |
| First-time Heart Attack | Above 88 | 242% |
| Need for Coronary Bypass or Stent Procedure | Above 95 | 73% |
High Normal Blood Sugar Harms the Brain
In September 2012, Australian researchers published findings showing blood glucose at the high end of normal resulted in significant brain shrinkage.47,48
The shrinkage occurred in regions of the brain (hippocampus and amygdala) involved in memory and other critical functions. Atrophy (shrinkage) in these brain areas worsens memory.47,48
For this study, neuroscientists at Australian National University in Canberra studied 249 people in their early 60s. Each of them had blood sugar levels in the normal range. The study subjects’ brains were scanned at the beginning of the study, and again four years later.
Comparing the before and after images, the researchers found significant brain shrinkage among those whose blood sugar levels were high but still below the World Health Organization’s threshold for pre-diabetes (fasting glucose under 110 mg/dL). The researchers report that these high normal levels may account for a 6% to 10% decrease in the volume of the hippocampus and amygdala.
The lead researcher stated, “It is this chronic exposure to high glucose levels that is more likely to lead to poorer brain health.” He cautioned that these findings should not be taken “lightly,” as the association between high normal blood sugar and brain shrinkage was “robust.”
Proven Methods To Lower Blood Glucose
Intermittent Fasting is a great way to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels.
Ensuring adequate intake of nutrients like chromium, lipoic acid, and green tea extract improves insulin sensitivity, as does ensuring that you maintain youthful blood levels of hormones like DHEA.
 |
Why Aren’t Doctors Taking Steps To Lower Blood Sugar Levels?
Doctors rely on outdated reference ranges, meaning they accept dangerously high glucose levels as being normal. Yet more than 80% of the adult population has glucose levels that put them at increased risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, and cancer. The bottom line is that doctors are not lowering their patient’s glucose levels enough to prevent these needless diseases.
Taking Charge of Your Blood Sugar
It is advised that we keep their fasting sugar in the range of 75 – 80 mg, and an abundance of peer-reviewed published research findings validates this position.
If your last blood test showed fasting glucose of 86 mg% or higher, please see an Integrative Medicine specialist near you, and get back on the path to good health.
Summary
High-normal blood glucose is a leading cause of premature death overlooked by mainstream doctors today. More than 80% of the adult population has glucose levels that are too high. An abundance of published research links high-normal blood glucose level to increased breast cancer risk. New research links even high normal blood sugar level to brain shrinkage in key areas involved with memory. Reducing ingestion of simple sugars and starches helps, but as people age, most of them produce excess glucose in their liver (gluconeogenesis) that causes higher glucose levels no matter how many carbohydrates they restrict. The key is to inhibit intestinal absorption of carbohydrates, suppress excess production of glucose in the liver, and improve glucose utilization in tissues through enhanced insulin sensitivity.
It is simple to Stay Healthy.