Protein and cancer

Does too much protein in the diet increase cancer risk?:

Fontana and colleagues found significantly lower blood levels of plasma insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in the low-protein diet group than in either the equally lean runners or the sedentary people eating a standard Western diet. Past research has linked pre-menopausal breast cancer, prostate cancer and certain types of colon cancer to high levels of IGF-1, a powerful growth factor that promotes cell proliferation. Data from animal studies also suggest that lower IGF-1 levels are associated with maximal lifespan.

The study's purpose was to determine a link between protein and cancer independent of calorie intake. While the evidence is indirect, in that a low protein diet led to lower levels of IGF-1, it seems likely that an association between protein intake and cancer holds.

In popular mythology and folk medicine, protein has near magical properties. The fact is, if one gets enough calories it's nearly impossible to be protein deficient. (Some diets could cause a protein deficiency, such as a nearly all alcohol diet which a serious alcoholic might ingest.)

It's long been known that vegetarians live longer, and this study demonstrates one more reason why they do.

In other dietary news, The Wine Diet: Spice up your life and save your heart.