Search
Close this search box.

Sugar and cancer, a proven link

Sugar and cancer

 

How to reduce risks

Sugar is a health risk and is responsible for 35 million deaths worldwide. every year. But sugar not only causes diabetes and heart disease, but is also associated with certain tumours.

Sugar and cancer

The most effective way to treat cancer is to cut off the supply of glucose to the cancer cells.

Sugar feeds tumours. Y there has been a lot of research on this issue.

For example, on 26 June 2012 in the journal Molecular Systems Biology, Graeber and his team demonstrated that glucose starvationi.e. depriving cancer cells of glucose triggers an amplification and metabolic signalling loop that leads to the death of cancer cells as a result of the toxic accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

At Biosaludwithin our complementary cancer treatment, the first thing we are going to do isThe cancer cell's physiology must be taken into account, eliminating glucose intake in the bodybecause cancer cells eat glucose and only make energy from glucose and we are going to do this by two mechanisms:

¢ Eliminating carbohydrates from the diet, especially carbohydrates that do not have fibre associated with them.
¢ Use substances that prevent the conversion of this glucose into energy.So if the cancer cell has no energy, it will not be able to multiply and will therefore become weaker and weaker.

We also take into account that a cancer cell needs a certain environment, which is an acidic pH, so we are going to rebalance the pH, we are going to de-acidify the organism.

More recently a University of Texas, MD Anderson Center study for cancer, reveals that diets that are high in sugar have an increased risk factor for certain types of cancers.especially breast cancer.

In the study, researchers gave mice fructose and sucrose in amounts similar to what someone following a Western diet would consume. The researchers studied mice that were genetically modified for breast cancer research and then placed them into four different groups. Each group was fed a different diet with varying amounts of sugar until the mice were about 6 months old.

After six months, the results showed that a diet consisting of sugar levels similar to the typical Western diet caused an increase in tumour growth, as well as the spread of lung cancer. Among mice on a sucrose-enriched diet, 50 to 58 per cent had developed mammary tumours, while only 30 per cent of mice on a sugar-free starch diet had developed measurable tumours.

The researchers concluded that sugar affects the inflammatory pathway that fuels cancer growth.

"We determined that it was specifically fructose, table sugar and high fructose corn syrup, ubiquitous within our food system, that was responsible for facilitating lung metastasis and 12-HETE production in breast tumours," said the study author.Lorenzo Cohen, professor of palliative rehabilitation and integrative medicine at the University of Texas.

The study authors investigated the mechanisms that may be involved in the growth and spread of tumours in mice on sugar diets. They found that sugar increases the growth of an enzyme called 12-LOX and a fatty acid called 12-HETE in breast cancer cells. They also found that fructose increases the risk of 12-HETE production in breast tumours, as well as the spread of cancer to the lungs.

Previous research has investigated the association between sugar and the development of cancer. However, this study is unique because it is the first research to look at the direct effect of sugar consumption on the development of cancer. in animals.

Normal cells require sugar, which produces insulin. However, when there is an excess of sugar in the pancreas, this organ becomes exhausted. This can lead to insulin resistance, also known as diabetes. With regard to cancer, a strong association between sugar and cancer has been found. Cancer cells have receptors called growth factors of insulin, which they can use to spread the cancer. Excess sugar goes to the liver, and is then metabolised. When there is an overload of sugar in the liver, it combines with fat. This causes a build up of fat in the belly and cytokineswhich may increase the risk of cancer.

Based on these findings and other studies suggesting a link between sugar consumption and cancer, researchers advise a low-sugar diet. Aside from cancer, sugar consumption is a major risk factor for the development of other diseases such as obesity and heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, women should have no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar per day, and men no more than 9. Many Americans consume about twice that amount.

It is important to be able to detect hidden sugars in foods. Sugar is not only found inside "sugar" on a food label. Sugar can be inside other ingredients such as fructose, lactose, sucrose, maltose, glucose and dextrose.

The main culprit of sugar is fructose or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). When we consume sugar, the reward centre in the brain is activated. Over time, we build up a tolerance for sugar and, in turn, crave more.

High amounts of sugar can also lead to diabetes. Signs and symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst, increased appetite, frequent urination or urine infections, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, and headaches. Tests for diabetes include the A1C and fasting blood sugar test. The A1C should be less than 6%. A fasting blood sugar level of less than 100 mg/dl is normal, 100-125 is pre-diabetes, and 126 or higher means diabetes.

In general, there is room for sugar in a balanced diet when consumed in small amounts. If you crave sugar, it is better to satisfy this craving with naturally sweet fruits rather than processed foods.. This way, you can get your sugar fix by getting the nutrients your body needs and protect yourself from diseases such as cancer.

 

Mariano Bueno

Dr. Mariano Bueno and his team

Subscribe to our newsletter