Millions
of people around the world are detected with different forms of cancer every
year and sadly, half of these cases turn into fatalities. Our commercially
driven world lacks the social responsibility in prevention of cancer by
intervening in dietary and environmental factors that cause these illnesses to
begin with. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to be self educated about
these variables that influence this deadly disease as prevention is better than
cure. The good part is that it is easy to control environmental and dietary
factors that contribute to these carcinogenic growths in human body by the
empowerment of educated knowledge. Keeping this devilish disease a bay can be
as easy as cutting down the intake of sugar from your diet, that’s right -
Sugar - it feeds cancer.
Researchers
had earlier believed that sugar is responsible only for causing high blood
sugar level or diabetes but sugar and cancer may be more closely related to
each other than anything else. Tumors thrive best when they find acidic
environment with high sugar level in your body. Inflammation is common before
cancer cells start developing. Acidic environment and high sugar content are
closely related to cancer. Modern foods contain refines sugar which is
available in the form of fructose. The side effects produced by fructose are
not mentioned on the product and people keep munching these foods without
knowing the adverse effects. Cancer cells can readily use fructose sugar
available to them. When cancer cells get their nutrition from fructose sugar
they proliferate quickly. Glucose is needed by our body for normal functioning
of the body cells but fructose is not a very useful sugar for our body. Liver
is the only organ in our body that can metabolize fructose and when excess of
fructose gets accumulated in the liver many health problems may arise.
Excessive
intake of sugar increases the level of insulin in blood. Insulin is a hormone
secreted by the pancreas to control blood sugar level. When a person eats high carbohydrate diet insulin level suddenly increases in the blood for sugar
metabolism. High sugar level in the blood also increases the chances of
inflammation and infection.
Breastcancer is common in women who eat high carbohydrate diet. This is because the normal cells of the
breast and cancer cells have receptors for the insulin. When insulin level
increases in your blood, more insulin attaches itself to the breast cells which
lead to the proliferation of the breast cells very quickly. The breast cells
start dividing at a rapid rate and it increases the risk of breast cancer. Another factor related to breast cancer is
high estrogen level in the blood due to presence of high insulin. High insulin
level in the blood prevents estrogen from attaching themselves to the protein
binders. More estrogen flow freely in the blood and this causes rapid cell
division and risk for breast cancer.
Medical
scientists have revealed the fact that an easy way of treating cancer is to
stop the supply of glucose to the cancer cells. It is found to be an effective
therapy for the treatment and prevention of cancer. Researchers at the cancer institute At
Huntsman in Utah ,
first discovered that sugar is responsible for the growth of tumour cells. A
research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, which stated that cancer cells depend upon glucose for their
growth. Another research was done by Dr.
Thomas Graeber and his colleagues and their report was published in the journal
Molecular Systems Biology. Their research stated that when cancer cells are
deprived of glucose, a signal is initiated that leads to the death of cancer
cells. University
of California ,
San Francisco ,
have also found that sugar is an important dietary factor that contributes to
the growth of cancer cells.
Sugar is present in almost all the foods that we bring from the market. We do not bother about the ingredients present in the foods that we bring from the market. We fail to recognize that some ingredients may be harmful in the long run if consumed daily. If a person stop eating refined foods, and start eating fruits and vegetables then he/she can live a healthy life. Natural sugar present in fruits and vegetables is good for your body and it does not produce any harmful effects. Natural sugar present in natural foods contains anti-oxidants that give you protection against many harmful diseases. Natural sugar present in fruits and vegetables can suffice for your body and completes our body needs for sugar.
How reduction of sugar helps to
delay cancer growth or kill cancer cells?
Carbohydrates
are the main source of sugar. Carbohydrates provide immediate sugar to our body
cells. There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex carbohydrates.
We obtain simple sugars from natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, milk,
milk products, etc. Simple sugars are also added to many foods in an artificial
food and we consume such foods without knowing the harmful effects of this
added sugar. Simple sugar is responsible for increasing the production of
insulin and inflammation of cells that can cause cancer.
Sugar does not provide any
essential vitamin or mineral
When
we eat too many foods such as candies, pastries, and sodas which are rich in
sugars our body does not get any essential vitamin or mineral. Such people who
eat high sugar containing foods become deficient in important minerals and
vitamins that may lead to many health problems.
Causes deposition of fat
When
we eat refined foods containing sugars then it gets deposited in our liver in
the form of fructose which is not used by our body. When body is not using
fructose then it gets converted into fats. Some of the fats are used up while
doing heavy exercise but most of it remains in the liver which leads to a
disease called as fatty liver disease.
Increases cholesterol level of
blood
Fat
that gets stored in the liver due to accumulation of fructose is transported to
different parts in the form of low density lipoproteins.
Insulin
Resistance & Weight Gain
Cells
of body become insulin resistance. The main functioning of the insulin is
glucose metabolism. When people eat high carbohydrate diet their body cells do
not respond to the insulin and pancreas are stimulated to secrete more insulin.
When more insulin is secreted it leads to the proliferation of cells in the
body. Insulin resistance is also the cause of obesity. More deposition of fat
takes place as liver is unable to store fat. It sends the extra fat to various
parts of the body that leads to obesity and increase in weight. Plus sugar
does not satisfy hunger: Researchers have found that people who eat high
carbohydrates diet do not feel satisfy after eating a meal. They feel hungrier
and their craving for sugar increases more. Moreover, studies also show that
people who eat more sugar or junk food become addictive. It is said that after
eating sugar, dopamine is released in the blood which gives a feeling of
pleasure as given by addictive drugs such as cocaine.
Avoiding
sugar is the first and the foremost preventive measure that you can take to avoid
harmful growth of cells in the body.