Sugar and Increased Cancer Risk
Sugar Addicts, Be Aware! Study Finds a Link Between Sugar and an Increased Risk for Breast Cancer
Before you pick up your next Frappuccino or sugary soda, understand that recent studies have linked sugar in Western diets to an increased risk for breast cancer tumors and the spread of cancer from one organ to another body part (metastasis). The Western diet has proven to be a playground for sugar to roam and infiltrate peoples lives. Although it tastes good and helps satisfy our sweet tooth, sugar’s effect on our bodies is detrimental to our health and helps promote the spread of cancer.
Sugar is hidden in almost anything these days. Ranging from ketchup and barbeque sauce to popular yogurt brands, it’s everywhere. Some common food products we have grown to love are loaded with hidden sugars which trigger inflammation in our bodies making it harder to fight off infection. According to researchers in a study done on sugars in western diets at the University of Texas, “we determined that it was specifically fructose, in table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, that was responsible for facilitating lung metastasis and production in breast tumors” (1). This means to steer clear of soda, processed candies, pastries, and sugary baked goods. The study also suggests that the uptake of dietary sucrose or fructose indicated a “signaling pathway responsible for sugar-promoted tumor growth in mice” (1). Treating yourself once in a while is one thing, however, when the occasional treat turns into a regular occurrence, that is when you have to read labels carefully and be mindful of what you are putting in your body.
What should you avoid? Advertising on food labels can be tricky to decipher on your own. A lot of manufacturers will disguise “sugar” on the back of a product for other tricky names like “invert sugar” and “glucose.” We want to give you a simple list of ingredients to look out for on the back of food labels to make you a pro at reading product labels. Hint hint – anything that ends in “ose” can be assumed to be “sugar.”
- Cane Crystals
- Corn Sweetener
- Corn Syrup
- Dextrin
- Evaporated Cane Juice
- Glucose
- Malt Syrup
- Molasses
- Saccharose
- Xylose
- (2)
You can also check out our app “SugarChecked” that scans products to check for your personal dietary sugar and sweetener preferences!
(1)https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/01/160104080034.htm
(2)https://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/sugars.htm
