Cancer cells are fueled by sugar
A sedentary lifestyle, high alcohol intake and a junk food diet all contribute to obesity
Many studies have established a clear link between obesity and increased risk of cancer. One of the most direct causes of weight gain is without any doubt, consuming drinks and processed foods that are high in sugar.
There are different forms of cancer, but one of the cancer forms most clearly linked to obesity is colorectal cancer, the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Though the death rate from colorectal cancer has been dropping in recent decades – most likely thanks to early detection methods – the actual number of people being diagnosed with this cancer form continues to increase.
A few studies have considered the direct association between high sugar intake and the risk of colorectal and other cancers. A recent animal study by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medicine, published in the journal Science, found a definite link between increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup and accelerated tumor growth in mice with colorectal cancer.
What is high fructose corn syrup?
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a type of artificial syrup made from corn syrup and very commonly used in sugary drinks and processed foods. HFCS is really bad for human health for multiple reasons, including:
It unnaturally increases the amount of fructose in your diet, and fructose causes health issues when consumed in large amounts. The human body is not equipped to properly process fructose, since our diet is only meant to contain small amounts of this sugar from fresh fruits and vegetables.
HFCS is easily converted into fat which can cause fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes.
Sugar consumption in general has been linked to increased inflammation, which is known to increase risk of obesity, cancer and heart disease.
It’s empty junk that adds no nutritional value to your diet.
Sugar feeds tumors in colorectal cancer
Medical News Today explains how the study referenced above was conducted: In the first stage of the study, the researchers allowed the mice to drink the sugary beverage freely. As a result, the rodents put on a lot of weight within just one month.
To determine whether or not the corn syrup would boost cancer growth independently of obesity, the team then decided to administer the sugary drink in a way that would allow the mice to ingest it without putting on weight. So, the researchers gave the mice the sugary drink orally through a specially designed syringe once a day for two months.
Following this 2-month intervention, the investigators observed that the rodents had not put on too much weight, but they had indeed developed larger, more advanced tumors than the rodents who had only received water.
According to the researchers, these findings show that animals that already have early stage tumors and then consume even modest amounts of HFCS experience accelerated growth and progression of tumors, even if they are not obese.
“Further research is needed to translate this discovery to people,” explained co-author Jihye Yun, an assistant professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine.
“However, our findings in animal models suggest that chronic consumption of sugary drinks can shorten the time it takes cancer to develop.”
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