So, my last blog post showed that sugar does not cause cancer. Since then, I found another article that claims sugar causes cancer to grow. What should we believe?
The first blog post was based on information posted 12/3/17 from http://www.verywellhealth.com. This one draws from http://www.beatcancer.org and was published 3/9/14. Both have a medical advisory board.
Beat Cancer states that sugar encourages cancer growth, since cancer cells uptake sugar at 10-12 times the rate of healthy cells. PET (positron emission tomography) scans use radioactively labeled glucose to detect tumors, since cancer cells uptake sugar at a higher rate.
Otto Warburg, whose research was referenced in my first blog post, found in 1931 that cancer cells increased glycolysis, a process whereby glucose is used as a fuel by cancer. He also discovered that cancers thrive in an acidic environment. Sugar is highly acidic.
Sugar can impact how much insulin is released by the pancreas, which can have an effect on some kinds of cancer.
Sugar also contributes to obesity, which can affect cancer.
Does sugar cause cancer? My money is on the fact that sugar can ultimately lead to type II diabetes which does affect tumors. I also am suspicious that the sugar-causes-cancer argument is based on research more than 80 years old.
I don’t think we should get into a blame loop that we’ve eaten too much sugar and it’s our fault we have cancer. I’ve been in that loop and it doesn’t change the situation.
Cutting sugar is a healthy habit, so avoiding it makes sense.
So take your pick. My contention is that nobody really knows.
Comments