We might’ve heard that sugar promotes cancer or causes it to spread more quickly. This makes sense in some ways. Blood sugar (glucose) is used by every cell in your body for energy. Cancer cells, on the other hand, need roughly 200 times more than normal cells. Tumors that develop in your lungs’ thin, flat (squamous) cells use much more glucose. To grow, they require a large amount of sugar. Some cancer experts believe that sugar is a cancer-causing agent. Lewis Cantley, PhD, head of the Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, is one of these experts.
He believes that excessive amounts of insulin, the hormone that regulates the amount of sugar in your blood, may be the cause of some cancers.
There have been no randomized controlled experiments that prove sugar causes cancer yet. However, there is a relationship between sugar and cancer that is just indirect. Excess calorie intake can be caused by eating a lot of high sugar foods like cakes, cookies, and sweetened beverages. This may result in weight gain and an increase in body fat. Obesity has been linked to an increased risk of 12 cancers, including colorectal, postmenopausal breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, according to research. (AICR, 2016) To fully comprehend the link between sugar in the diet and cancer, more study is required. Blood sugar (glucose) is the source of energy for all cells, including cancer cells.
Obesity and cancer
Obesity, or having too much body fat, is a proven cancer risk factor. Obesity develops when a person consumes more calories than they expend over time.
It can be caused by consuming a lot of refined carbohydrates, especially meals with added sugar. Inflammation caused by body fat can damage DNA and lead to cancer.
On the Internet, there is a lot of conflicting and misleading information concerning the link between sugar and cancer. Two popular and false statements that come up in a Google search are that refined sugar promotes cancer and that eliminating sugar from one’s diet is an excellent approach to cure cancer.
Cancer cells often multiply quickly, consuming a lot of energy in the process. This need a large amount of glucose. Cancer cells require a variety of nutrients, including amino acids and lipids, in addition to sugar. There’s no proof that eating a “sugar-free” diet reduces your risks of getting cancer or increases your chances of surviving if you do but can influence your risk indirectly by making you obese which can increase your risk of cancer.
Conclusion
Sugar might not directly influence the risk of Cancer but indirectly it can make you obese and increase the risk of cancer. Therefore it is always better to avoid high-sugary foods and eat sugar in limited amounts.
