Does Sugar Feed Cancer Cells?

The short answer is no -- with a big qualifying "but." Glucose (sugar) is the primary fuel for most of the cells in the body, including the brain, muscles, and See also:
Anti-Cancer Superfoods: Do They Really Work?

See all 1878 questions about Cancer -- yes -- even cancer cells. It's the preferred fuel because it's easily taken up by most cells throughout the body to use as an energy source.

But to say that sugar feeds cancer is a misstatement. Elevated levels of blood sugar stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas. If insulin levels remain elevated for long periods of time, this causes an increase in inflammation -- basically, the body's normal immune response goes into a kind of unhealthy overdrive. Then, through a complex and coordinated series of events, tumor cells use this inflammatory process to signal cells to multiply. It's the prolonged release of insulin in response to chronic elevations in blood sugar that's the true problem.

The goal, therefore -- and the most important concept to understand -- is that through the foods you choose to eat, you can create an anti-inflammatory environment in the body. You can stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels.

To accomplish this and avoid those damaging fluctuations in blood sugar:

• Minimize intakes of processed foods that are high in refined flours and sugars, foods obviously high in white starches (sugar and white flour), and juices.

• Choose foods that are close to their original forms found in nature (whole fruits instead of fruit juices, whole grains instead of white bread, etc.).

• Switch to more whole grains and high-fiber foods. Good examples: steel-cut oats, brown rice.

• Look for colorful produce. Great anti-inflammatory choices include blueberries, red grapes, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower), and tomatoes.

• Consume naturally healthy fats found in nuts, seeds, nut butters, extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, and avocadoes. Avoid trans fats (check nutrition labels) and oils such as corn, vegetable, and safflower, as well as mayonnaise and most processed salad dressings (the kind found bottled on grocery store shelves).

• Limit alcohol consumption to one to two glasses per day; red wine is the best choice, since it has the most anti-inflammatory chemicals.

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Yes, very informative!. Thanks

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I have two love ones fighting cancer. They followed their doctors advice for three months.They grew weaker and sicker and the cancer was spreading. I encouraged them to dump their doctor and get with a naturopathic doctor they did and thank god for this man. What he suggested as treatment was to change their diet completely to rae food diet and organic if they could afford it. They bought a juicer and drank plenty of veggie/fruit juice.

He also told them to get outside and get as much sun as they felt comfortable with without burning their skin. They started to exercise more and built up their exercise time.....water....plenty of water and taking vitamins...Vitamin E, B17, calcium and magnesum.......and avoid FRUCTOSE as it feeds cancer cells.....having high insulin levels is also bad for your health as it aids in cancer growth.

Anyways their first doctor had them on some cancer diet that in no way would encourgae their own immunity to grow to fight their cancer.

They are alive because they did not follow the cancer treatment plan that is so common and does nothing to fight cancer.

People need to do their own research and become their own advocate for better effective cancer treatments and demand accountability from those that simply profit from this deadly disease.

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Cancer cells consume approximately 5 times to 8 times more glucose (sugar) than normal cells consume. This is why PET and SPECT and Octreo scans are effective diagnostic tools. Cancer cells more readily uptake the radioactive-labeled glucose (because they consume more glucose than normal cells) and then glow during imaging. So, reducing sugar intake is highly advisable. I've survived active stage 4B pancreatic cancer for almost 6 years now by limting refined sugar intake and changing my entire lifestyle and diet, I've also had surgeries and very limited radio-frequency ablations, but absolutely NO chemo. Although I still have active cancer, am living with it... and still happy to be alive.

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