How Eating Sugar Feeds Cancer Cells
by Sherry Brescia
When I was a kid in the 1960’s and 70’s, we were always cautioned by our parents about eating lots of candy or cookies, or drinking too much soda. Back then, sugar wasn’t added to practically every food imaginable, so candy, cookies and soda were the top offenders. The biggest concern our parents had back then was that sugar could cause cavities in our teeth. My how things have changed!
We have been hit with a double sugar whammy over the last several decades:
First of all, sugar is now in a multitude of products that go WAY beyond “sweets” (including ketchup, teriyaki sauce, tomato sauce, salad dressing, frozen dinners, oatmeal and “healthy” drinks like green teas and sports drinks). Especially guilty here are “low fat” products because food companies typically replace the fat with sugar. And as the sources of sugar have grown, so have our portion sizes. When I was a kid, the typical glass of soda was 8 ounces. Now? You can get a single 64 ounce serving of soda at most gas stations and mini-markets—that’s eight times the sugar I drank as a kid! As a result of this double whammy sugar onslaught, we’re starting to see an expanding health price as well…and it goes way beyond cavities.
Let’s take a look 5 very serious effects our increasing intake of sugar has on our bodies:
1. Sugar feeds cancer
Consistently elevated levels of blood sugar causes repeated releases of insulin from the pancreas, and if blood sugar and insulin levels remain elevated for a long time, it can lead to inflammation. Tumor cells use this inflammation as a signal to multiply—and that especially includes malignant tumors. In a September 2013 study from the University of Copenhagen, researchers found sugar molecules to be assisting in the growth of malignant cells by binding to them in a process called glycosylation.
In addition, sugar also feeds the harmful bacteria in your gut and can cause them to overcome your friendly bacteria. When this happens, your immune system (70% of which reside in your gut flora) is greatly hampered. Your immune system protects you against cancer, so when it can’t do its job, that also increases your cancer risk. In addition, sugar is an acid-creating substance, so eating a lot of it can lead to a more acidic pH in your body, and this is especially dangerous. You see, your body was designed to be slightly alkaline—that is how all of your organs and systems work best. On the other hand, when you become too acidic, your cells cannot function like they should, wastes build up and your body becomes the perfect home for diseases and tumors to flourish—especially malignant tumors. Studies have shown repeatedly that cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment, but cannot survive in an alkaline environment.
2. Brain atrophy
A recent study from the American Academy of Neurology contends that blood sugar levels that are elevated or even in the high range of normal can contribute to brain shrinkage. The two areas typically affected are the hippocampus and the amygdala—which are responsible for regulating autonomic and endocrine functions and affect learning, focus, memory and stress reactions. Shrinkage in these areas can lead to depression, mood swings, rage, aggression, Alzheimer’s and other dementia and emotional diseases.
3. Insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes
Like I mentioned in yesterday’s email, subjecting your body to a daily onslaught of sugar and having excessive amounts of glucose in your blood consistently stresses your pancreas because it has to put forth a Herculean effort to keep up with your increasing insulin needs.
Ultimately it may become too much for the pancreas and/or your cells begin resisting the insulin, but either way the end result is the same: Type 2 diabetes.
And let’s not forget the obvious here. Consistently taking in more glucose than your body can use is a perfect recipe for obesity.
4. Drug addiction-like dependency
A study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information supports that even occasional use of sugar can cause behavioral and neurochemical changes which mimic the effects of drug abuse. The effects can include binge behavior, feelings of withdrawal, cravings and hyperactivity.
5. Damaged arteries
Having excess glucose in your bloodstream day in and day out is extremely irritating to your blood vessels and can lead to damage to the innermost wall of the arteries (called the endothelium). When this happens, these damaged areas becomes target spots for plaque to build up—made up of cholesterol, fat, calcium and cellular debris. Once plaque starts to form, you can be on your way to atherosclerosis, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Take the necessary steps to minimize your sugar consumption and stop sugar’s harmful effects on your body. And I’m sure your body will thank you handsomely for many years to come!
To your health,
Sherry Brescia