Download Blog by Dr. Mark O`Rourke Cancer cells love sugar, right? This

Blog by Dr. Mark O’Rourke
Cancer cells love sugar, right? This question comes up frequently when cancer survivors start investigating how
to alter their diet to better fight cancer. The logic behind the question says that sugar feeds cancer cells and this
causes cancer to grow in the human body. The logic continues that avoiding sugar can starve cancer cells, thus
helping the body fight cancer. But is it true? Can avoiding sugar really help the body fight cancer? The answer is
partly yes, but some explanation is in order.
First of all, our diets contain a number of different kinds of sugar. Fructose is natural sugar from fruits. Lactose is
natural sugar from milk. Maltose is natural sugar from grain. Glucose is the simple sugar present in every cell in
our bodies. It is necessary for much of energy that keeps our bodies healthy and active. Yes, glucose feeds
cancer cells, but it feeds every cell in our body and is necessary for life. Dextrose and sucrose are compound
sugars that are made from glucose.
Second, sugars in our diets can be divided into two groups. One group is the naturally occurring sugars, such as
the sugars in fresh fruits, honey, maple syrup, molasses and exotic plants like coconut and agave. Foods that
contain naturally occurring sugars also contain antioxidants that actually reduce the risk of cancer. The other
group is added sugars, such as the sugars in table sugar and white flour. Added sugar includes the 14 grams of
sugar in a bowl of sugar sweetened cereal, the 41 grams of sugar in a can of Pepsi or the 91 grams of sugar in a
McDonald’s medium triple thick milkshake. Added sugars are found in many packaged, canned and processed
foods. Foods with added sugars are often convenient and tasty, but they don’t contain antioxidants. They do,
however, contribute to “added sugar overconsumption.”
Added sugars from soft drinks and processed foods like cookies and cakes are harmful to human beings because
they cause tooth cavities and obesity, which in turn lead to heart disease and cancer. They also cause
inflammation in cells and blood vessels, which lead directly to heart disease and cancer. An editorial in the
February 3 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine summed up the situation as “too much sugar does not just make us
fat; it can also make us sick.” This is why cancer survivors (and everyone) should avoid added sugars, not
because glucose feeds cancer cells.
Added sugars are enough of a health hazard that experts have recommended that women limit their intake to
25 grams per day and men limit their intake to 38 grams per day, which is less than the sugar in one can of Pepsi.
For this reason, I call sugared soft drinks “weapons of mass destruction.” I recommend that everyone avoid
foods made from sugar and processed flour, that is, added sugars. For me, it means packing fresh grapes (with
naturally occurring sugars and antioxidants) in my lunch every day for dessert instead of cookies.
How about you? Do you have any favorite desserts with naturally occurring sugars instead of added sugars?