While researching sugar vs cancer, I just cannot understand how so many different websites can give so many different answers to the same question “does sugar cause cancer cells to grow”. I am going to give you the condensed version of all the information I’ve read. I will leave it up to you and your Oncologist to make the correct decision.
Since Tom and I are both diabetics, not having sugar in our diet has not been a problem……or so I thought. From what I have read, there is so much “hidden” sugar in food that you don’t even know your eating it.
UPDATE 2018- Tom is no longer a diabetic. He is pre-diabetic. I think following the diet on this site has helped him tremendously with both diabetes and cancer.
One of the websites I was on said ‘yes’, sugar makes cancer cells grow. It also stated that it makes normal, healthy cells grow. Our body needs simple sugar (glucose) for energy. If you stopped eating sugar completely, your body would make sugar out of its own protein and fat. But, if you have cancer and eat a lot of sugar, your body will produce too much insulin. Insulin tells both healthy and cancer cells to grow. Healthy cells grow, divide, die and are replaced with new healthy cells. Cancer cells do the same thing but don’t die. They attach themselves to healthy cells and kill them. (That’s where free radicals come from). Insulin causes cancer cells to grow because of eating too much sugar. If you ‘need’ to eat sugar, then you should also eat a protein, a fat and some fiber with it. Fresh fruits, vegetables and almonds would be a good choice. When you eat those with a simple sugar your body won’t produce as much insulin. (1)
Since I have been researching cancer and sugar, I have come upon some startling ‘facts’ (and I use that word loosely because what I have learned is only “that persons opinion”)! The worst culprit seems to be ‘high fructose corn syrup’. HFCS is much cheaper to use then sugar. You might be amazed at what foods/drinks it is in. Food manufacturers have come up with several names for HFCS so you don’t realize that
you are eating it. I can’t stress enough: READ ALL LABELS CAREFULLY.
1) Juice drinks: if a drink isn’t 100% juice it contains large amounts of HFCS along
with artificial and natural ingredients and flavors. In MY opinion, even if the drink is
100% juice, the carbs and sugar content is extremely high. Horrible for a diabetic, a
cancer patient (or any serious illness), anyone trying to loose weight or someone on
a sugar-free diet. You should only drink 6 oz. Even better is to make the juice
yourself with a juicer or Nutri Bullet. No added ANYTHING and so fresh. You can
add your favorite fresh organic fruits and vegetables. Not only is this a healthy drink
but it is also giving your body needed antioxidants and fiber. You could also get a fruit concentrate that contains ONLY the natural sugar from the fruit. No added sugar.
2) Soda: no shock there. Even if the soda has some juice in it, it still has HFCS. Many
of the diet soda’s contain aspertame. Stay away from that.
3) Breakfast cereal: even some ‘healthy’ cereals contain HFCS. I won’t mention any
names but they are well known.
4) Yogurt: are you shocked? The HFCS is usually found in the yogurt with the fruit in
it. A good option would be to buy plain yogurt (still read the label to make sure no
HFCS was added) and add fresh organic fruit to it. By eating the fresh fruit you are
giving your body antioxidants and fiber.
5) Breads and baked goods: Eat Sami’s flaxseed or millet products. All natural.
Update- 7/16- Finally, many manufacturers are making breads that say, “No HFCS.
No artifical colors or flavorings”. But ALL breads are made of wheat and wheat is
toxic to your body. (But that is for a different page).
6) Salad dressing: you’ll have to read the labels to find out which ones.
7) Candy and candy bars: again, reading the labels will tell you which ones. I could
suggest you try the sugar-free candies but many of them are made with aspertame
or Splenda. Stay away from them.
Try unsweetened carob. We love the unsweetened carob covered raisins. We buy
them in bulk. You have to read the ingredient label if you buy them in the bag
because they contain soy and preservatives.
Update- 7/16- I haven’t been able to find the bulk unsweetened carob covered
raisins in 5 years. If you know who still makes the soy-free or sells them in bulk, please let me know.
8) Nutrition bars: shocked?? I know I was. Just because something says
‘nutritional’ doesn’t always mean that it is. (2) Again, read all ingredients.
(1) www.caring4cancer.com (2) www.devinecaroline.com