At least once per week, someone asks me, “Is it true that sugar feeds cancer?”
The truth is, sugar does not feed cancer cells any more than it feeds any other cell in your body. Every cell in your body uses sugar, in the form of blood glucose, for energy and growth. That includes cancer cells.
Our body takes a nutrient called carbohydrate from our food and turns it into blood glucose. White (table) sugar has carbohydrate, but so do grains, starchy vegetables, fruit, milk, and yogurt. In the end, it all turns into the same thing – blood glucose. So sugar doesn’t feed cancer any more than any other carbohydrate does.
But that doesn’t mean you should feel free to eat as much sugar as you like. Sugar doesn’t offer the protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that other foods offer. These nutrients help your body fight cancer.
So whether you have cancer or not, it’s always a good idea to limit sweeteners like white sugar, brown sugar, syrup, and honey, as well as any foods with these sweeteners added to them. These foods add lots of calories without a lot of other healthy nutrients.
Over time, all these extra calories can cause you to gain weight. And being overweight puts you at higher risk of cancer (as well as heart disease, diabetes, and more).
If you have cancer, try to eat foods that are packed with as many nutrients as possible. If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, focus on fruits, which are packed with cancer-fighting nutrients.
For more information:
- MD Anderson Cancer Center - Does Cancer Love Sugar?
- CancerDietitian.com -Does Sugar Feed Cancer?
- The Mayo Clinic - Myth: People with cancer shouldn't eat sugar, since it can cause cancer to grow faster