Sugar and Cancer

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.