Sugar

Sugar

 I have read numerous articles on sugar and cancer. There are some articles that state cancer feeds sugar, without going into the details. Those posts caught my eye first, and I thought, wow! If I can cut off the food supply, then maybe... A cancer cure is not that simple. While continuing my research, I found more articles on sugar, the details of how it hurts our body when we have cancer, and how we can help ourselves. Again I say, there is not “one” thing I am finding that we can do to cure or prevent cancer. But, there are many things we can do to help ourselves. Marie Z

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Excerpts from:
Caring4Cancer
Sugar and Cancer: Is There a Connection?
http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/cancer/nutrition/questions/sugar-and-cancer-is-there-a-connection.htm

"...sugar feeds every cell in our bodies. Our bodies need glucose, or simple sugar,
for energy. Even if you cut every bit of sugar out of your diet, your body will make sugar from other sources, such as protein and fat..”

So cancer cells need sugar to grow, just like healthy cells. It helps to remember that there is nothing particular about sugar that “feeds” cancer cells any more than sugar feeds all cells in our body.

Do I need to be concerned about sugar?

Even though sugar doesn’t exactly “feed” cancer cells, it is a good idea to limit the amount of simple sugar you eat. This is because when you eat a lot of sugar, your body produces a lot of insulin

Insulin is a natural substance made by the body. Insulin can tell cells to grow. In simple terms, insulin can “rev up” cell growth. For healthy cells, this is a good thing. This is because the cells in your body grow, divide, die, and are replaced as part of the natural process of living. However, cancer cells can be encouraged to grow more, too, when our bodies produce too much insulin. So while some insulin in the body is normal, excess insulin may encourage cancer cells to grow more, which is not a good thing

Should I avoid all sugar?

“...There are three other things in the diet that can help reduce the amount of insulin produced by the body when you eat sugar and carbohydrates. These are protein, fat, and fiber. When eaten along with even the simplest sugars, these three items help the body to make less insulin in response to simple sugar.

If you eat sugar with some protein, some fat, or some fiber, your body won’t produce as much insulin. Eating this other food helps your body process sugar more slowly, and this means that your body does not overproduce insulin. In short, protein, fat, and fiber help your body process sugar in a more healthful way...”

Putting the Information to Work for You...

“For an example of how this works, think about fruit and fruit juice. The amount of insulin your body makes after you eat a piece of fruit is much lower than the amount of insulin produced when you drink fruit juice. Whole fruit contains fiber and that fiber helps balance out the sugar in fruit."

"For another example, think about eating specific foods together to get a healthier snack or meal. Instead of having two pieces of fruit as a snack, try having one piece of fruit and a small handful of nuts. The nuts contain protein, fat, and fiber. These three things help your body keep insulin in balance.”

Eat in moderation!

The Bottom Line...

Try it black

“The most important point is that sugar itself is not bad. However, too much sugar, without enough protein, fat, and fiber to balance it out, can cause our bodies to make too much insulin...”

"Stick with naturally occurring sugar, such as the sugar that is found in fruit. This is a much healthier option than processed sugar that is found in candy, cake, desserts, pie, and baked goods. "




Try it without the
added sugar


"Avoid concentrated sources of sugar, such as soda and fruit drinks. It is OK to have 100 percent fruit juice in moderation. Stick to a 6-ounce serving. But avoid fruit drinks that don’t contain any real fruit juice... Limit your “treats,” such as dessert, to just a couple of times each week. Have a modest serving size."

"Focus on whole, healthy, unprocessed food, including vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils, and peas), nuts, and seeds."

Numerous references noted at the end of this online article

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Excerpts from the following...

The Diet Channel
http://www.thedietchannel.com/Cancer-and-Diet-Does-Sugar-Feed-Cancer.htm

Does Sugar Feed Cancer?
Wednesday, October 25, 2006 - 10:33am
By Erin Dummert, RD

“Sugar and hormones...

It is true that sugar feeds cancer. But it is not as simple as some would have you believe. And it is certainly not as simple as curing cancer by cutting out all sugar. Sugar feeds every cell in the body, including cancer cells. The rest of the story is more complex, involving hormones such as insulin and insulin-like growth factor. The body releases these and other hormones that promote cell growth in response to a rise in blood sugar. These growth-promoting hormones are the real problem for people living with cancer.”

“Reduce simple sugar intake...

Simple sugars enter the bloodstream quickly and cause a rise in insulin and other growth-promoting hormones. Research shows that high levels of these hormones may increase the growth of cancer cells. The key to reducing these hormones is reducing your intake of simple sugars.”

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Excerpt from:
Rachel Beller
Nutritional Institute LLC

Sugar and Cancer (10/07/07)

http://www.bellernutritionalinstitute.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=220%3Asugar-and-cancer&catid=74&Itemid=124

“The controversy stems around the idea that reduced sugar intake will reduce the cancer cells ability to grow...”

“Cutting down may not be a bad idea because when one eats a lot of sugar, it causes the body to produce more insulin. Insulin promotes cellular growth, including cancer cellular growth. While insulin is necessary for normal healthy cells, too much of it can have undesirable effects, including increased cancer cell growth...”

“Increase protein, fiber, and fat (good fat) intake—these can help the body produce less insulin and still provide the necessary required nutrients for healthy bodily functioning. Eating sugar with protein and/or fat and fiber will help slow down the sugar metabolism process, thus helping your body process sugar in a healthier manner. Too much sugar, without enough protein, fat, and fiber, will cause imbalance of nutritional intake which in turn will lead to insulin overproduction. The key, of course, is moderation...”

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Giving up high sugar intake can be difficult...
but I know you can climb that mountain to success!