This is a deeper tip than normal…with some technical information. The key point I hope you hear is that sugar is now being shown in studies to be a very likely cancer trigger!
Published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and titled, Increased sugar uptake promotes oncogenesis via EPAC/RAP1 and O-GlcNAc pathways, researchers addressed a common perception (or misperception) in the cancer research community regarding sugar’s relationship to cancer: namely, “increased glycolysis [sugar based metabolism] is frequently viewed as a consequence of oncogenic events that drive malignant cell growth and survival.”
Contrary to this conventional view, the new study “provide[s] evidence that increased glycolytic activation itself can be an oncogenic event…” That is to say, the activation of sugar-based metabolism in a cell – driven by both the presence of increased quantities of glucose and the increase glucose receptors on the cell membrane surface (i.e. “overexpression of a glucose transporter”) – drives cancer initiation.
Moreover, the study found that “Conversely, forced reduction of glucose uptake by breast cancer cells led to phenotypic reversion.” In other words, interfering with sugar availability and uptake to the cell causes the cancer cell to REVERSE towards its pre-cancer structure-function (phenotype).
So what are we to do? Reducing and controlling the amount of sugar as well as the source is the key. Consider desert to be a treat not a daily occurrence. Use limited amounts of honey, maple syrup, sucanat, and evaporated cane juice. Avoid corn syrup and especially toxic chemical sweeteners such as aspartame. Even the “natural” alternative sweeteners such as Stevia and Xylitol have negative health affects including neurological. So the real key is self control and portion control to enable your body to focus on the more nutrient laden foods such as vegetables!
