"Cancer loves sugar" - Is this true?

brainman

Sucrose is formed by the combination of one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose. It is found in pants, most notably sugar cane, sugar beet, sorghum, and sugar maple. The human cells do utilize sucrose as a source of energy by first breaking it down into glucose and fructose. However, we do consume much more sucrose than is needed. As memyselfi said, this excess an cause all sorts of problems... including slowing down the healing process. The excess does eventually gets stored as fat. However, the question posed in the topic is: "Will elimination of sucrose from our diets help kill off cancer cells?" The answer is "No. The cancer cells will still take up nutrients from other sources in greater quantities the normal cells."
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

Queensland Girl · Regular Joined: 17 Oct 2007 Posts: 48 Location: Australia

Just to weigh in on the debate again.......

Cancer cells are mutated cells from a person's own body. Part of the mutation is, unfortunately that the cells have an incredibly high metabolism enabling them to divide at a very rapid rate. Hence when people talk about tumours growing, this is cell division. High metabolsim requires large energy inputs, and the easiest energy sources are sugars as pure carbohydrates - refined sugars.

What is my background on this you may ask. Well one of my thesis topics decades ago, was the action of cis-platin and trans-platin anti-cancer drugs - chemotherapy drugs. These drugs were found to latch onto DNA that was unzipping for replication and cell division. This is why some chemotherapy is so hard on body. These types of drugs target unzipping DNA, which is also found in the reproductive organs (our gametes), the lining of the gut, in our bone marrow and in the hair follicles - just to name a few specific areas. This is the scattergun approach.

This is one of the reasons so much cancer research is going, as scientists are developing new agents which are specific to a particular cancer. This also explains why equally, so any people are trying to identify the trigger for the mutation which causes the cancer to begin with.

So, as mentioned several times before, sugar is not the lone culprit, as our bodies will convert whatever we eat, to carbohydrates, to fuel cell metabolism be it for normal or cancer cells.

Regards,

Queensland Girl

kelly · Regular Joined: 26 May 2008 Posts: 14

What about protein? Does cancer love protein, too?

brainman

Kelly, amino acid (the basic components of proteins) and sort of like the building blocks used by the body to build other more complex chemicals (DNA for example). Sugars are like the energy source that provides the energy for the cells to build these more complex structures. Complex sugar also make up the walls of the cells. Oue bodies do need a certain amount of sugars, proteins, and minerals.

Oils, cholesterol, and fats are complex carbohydrates that the body can digest to produce sugars but do not really need because our bodies can produce enough of these on their own to store sugars.

Our bodies are really wonderful and beautiful biochemical factories.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

dollygirl · New User Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 5

This info came via being repeated five times but this is the gist of it.

My husband was scheduled for a PET scan and asked what it was for. It was explained to him in the simplest of terms by saying cancer cells require more energy than regular cells so they use more sugar (fuel) and will "glow" (?) so the PET scan will note anything that is "glowing" or emitting more energy as a possible site of the cancer in the body.

I believe they were looking to see if the original cancer moved from the primary site to a secondary site.
Dollygirl

brainman

Yes dollygirl, they use a special radioactive sugar in a PET scan that is taken up more by cancer cells than by normal cells. Indeed, a PET scan is often used to see if a cancer has metastasized.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

ChemoMan

Hi all

there is no proof sugar has anything to do with the development of cancer. Sugar is a very energy dense foodstuff devoid of vitamins and minerals so there are health problems associated with overuse, but in moderation it is fine.
Those that say that sugar causes cancer are very much on the fringe of current medical paradigms. I would be more concerned from the hormones that leech into our food from all the plastic wrapping that goes around it these days. Best to avoid the food wrapped in plastic and in tins( they use plastic to line the tins) rather than avoid sugar.
I will continue to enjoy my cups of tea with sugar during my remission leading up to my cure Very Happy

Cheers
_________________
Age 51
Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma
Stage 2a
Finished six cycles of R chop 21 26th May 2008
Officially in remission 9th July 2008

ChemoMan

[quote="kelly"]What about protein? Does cancer love protein, too?[/quote]

Hi kelly

Cancer is the normal body process's gone nuts. Cancer cells are your cells and they like every thing else all the other cells need like sugars and proteins and fats. Every thing a normal cell requires, so does a cancer cell.

Kelly have you been to the doctor yet ??????

Cheers and good luck
_________________
Age 51
Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma
Stage 2a
Finished six cycles of R chop 21 26th May 2008
Officially in remission 9th July 2008

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