Sugar and cancer: they go together like peanut butter and jelly.
Want to stop cancer before it starts?
Stop eating sugar!
Not only does sugar speed up the disease’s progress, but it also increases rates of:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Headaches
…and fatigue
Why does sugar have such destructive effects on the body?
For starters, it causes widespread inflammation.
At the same time, it convinces your cells to stay alive longer than they should.
This is bad news for the body, because when unhealthy cells refuse to die, they can turn cancerous.
Here are the facts:
1. A high-sugar diet dramatically increases your risk of cancer.
2. Sugar is addictive and delicious (a potentially deadly combination).
3. There’s a lot you can do to stop cancer before it starts (mainly by avoiding sugar and eating anti-inflammatory foods).
Are you ready to kick cancer to the curb?
Here’s what you need to know about addictive sugar and cancer:
How Sugar Causes Cancer
In a nutshell, a steady supply of sugar creates and activates cancer cells.
To make matters worse, sugar also makes tumors more aggressive.
Here’s a bite-sized explanation of how sugar causes cancer:
#1: Excess sugar causes the body to release a protein called s-catenin.
#2: S-catenin causes cells to make copies of themselves.
#3: The cell copies can live (almost) forever.
#4: Eventually they mutate and become pre-cancerous.
#5: Sugar activates a gene called ‘Ras’ that turns pre-cancerous cells to cancerous cells.
Now for a closer look at the evidence linking cancer and sugar:
What Types of Cancer Does Sugar Cause?
One type…two types…three types?
Research shows that sugar increases the risk of…
- Esophageal cancer
- Cancer in the small intestine (1)
- Colon cancer
- Lung cancer
- Breast cancer…and more
With breast and intestinal cancers in particular, scientists found that high fructose corn syrup is especially bad.
The first problem is that fructose increases the production of enzymes that promote cell mutation.
To make matters worse, it increases inflammation and speeds tumor growth.
And finally, fructose may even make breast cancer more likely to spread to the lungs.
But fructose isn’t alone…
Sugar Goes By Many Names
Sugar goes by many names, and trying to avoid all of them is no easy task.
However, one nifty trick is to scan the ingredients list for words that end in “ose.”
Fructose obviously falls into this category, but you should also keep your eyes peeled for:
- Dextrose
- Anhydrous dextrose
- Sucrose
- Lactose
- Maltose
Don’t be fooled by natural-sounding names either, like:
- Molasses
- Coconut nectar
- Rice syrup
- Beet sugar
- Cane juice
- and fruit juice
Even though these are less processed, they’re still addictive, but more on that later…
Other names of sugar to look out for are:
- Corn syrup
- Corn syrup solids
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Malt syrup
- White granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Invert sugar
Where they fall in the ingredient list matters as well.
The closer it is to the top of the list, the more of it there is.
Of course, their are the obvious sugary drinks and foods to avoid, like these guys:
High-Sugar Drinks and Foods to Avoid
You may think you’re doing a good job of avoiding sugar, but sugar is sneaky.
Its hides in sauces and entrees as well as the obvious places like soda.
The only way to keep your sugar intake low is to read every label before you buy.
Fruit juices are another place where people goof.
Believe it or not, classic orange juice is one of the sugariest drinks there is.
Here’s a list of some other high-sugar grocery store items:
- Soda
- Mango juice
- Carrot juice
- Apple juice
- Barbeque sauce
- Ketchup
- Dressings
- Marinara sauce
Unfortunately, there’s a reason why pizza is everyone’s favorite food: because there’s sugar lurking in the sauce and the meat!
This means that pizza is off limits too if you want to live sugar-free.
You may also be surprised to see carrot juice on the sugar list. As it turns out, it has 9 grams of sugar per cup. (2)
Now that you know which foods to avoid, let’s look at how you can fight cancer with food:
3 Ways to Fight Cancer with Food
Sadly, unless the government forces food companies to clean up their act, they’re going to keep dumping sugar into our food.
It’s up to you to avoid sugar-causing foods and to eat more cancer-fighting foods, like these:
1. Berries
Nearly every kind of berry is high in antioxidants, low in sugar, and high in flavor.
That makes them the perfect food for a low-sugar diet:
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Cherries
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Goji berries
…they all belong to the same family of delicious, cancer-destroying foods.
Plus, they have a healthy supply of gallic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin A.
Gallic acid, by the way, is a strong anti-fungal and antiviral that strengthens the immune system.
2. Leafy Green Vegetables
Yep, it’s true…
Leafy green veggies are absolutely as healthy as they look.
Vegetables like…
- Kale
- Spinach
- Chard
- Collard greens
- Watercress
- And arugula
…are the cornerstones of a healthy diet.
They’re filled to the brim with enzymes, minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins that fight cancer.
But wait, there’s more:
Leafy greens also contain a powerful antibacterial/antiviral nutrient called glucosinolates.
These puppies reprogram cancer cells to turn off and die.
In other words, they make tumors shrink faster than you can say “cancer-free!”
3. Herbs and Spices
Turmeric is an indian spice that has a secret cancer-fighting ingredient called curcumin. (3)
It’s superpower?
Inflammation reduction on a massive scale.
In fact, if you had to choose just one herb/spice to help fight cancer, turmeric would be it.
Just make sure to take it with black pepper or fenugreek extract to aid absorption.
But turmeric isn’t the only cancer-fighting herb on the block, you should also take:
- Oregano
- Basil
- Thyme
- Raw garlic
- And of course, ginger
These are all powerful immune system boosters in their own rights.
Well, are you prepared to kick sugar and cancer out of your life for good?
It’s no easy task since, but when it comes down to it, sugar is a cancer machine that must be stopped.
To make matters worse, it’s also addictive and even activates the same brain pathways as cocaine.
So stick to your guns, stay determined, and stay away from sugar!
If you have any more questions about the connection between sugar and cancer, our providers at Complete Care Health Centers are happy to help.
Feel free to contact us today for more advice about fighting cancer with food.