Sugar and cancer: what you need to know

Is sugar bad for you when you have cancer?

By: Mansi Kohli | | Updated: January 12, 2018 12:19 pm

Cancer is defined as the growth of cells in an unnatural, abnormal manner. According to Dr Atul Luthra, Additional Director – Endocrinology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, sugar does play an important role in facilitating the disease. Cancer cells multiply rapidly and prolifically. For this they require energy. Sugar gets broken down into glucose, which provides the energy for cell metabolism. Dr Luthra further makes us understand the deep connection between sugar and cancer.

Is sugar bad for you when you have cancer? When you have cancer, sugar is not bad for you; provided you do not have diabetes mellitus and you are not overweight. Here are ways to reduce sugar intake.

But yes, cancer cells feed on sugar: Cancer cells feed on glucose and fatty acids, which serve as fuel for the metabolism of cells. Glucose is derived from dietary carbohydrates while fatty acids are derived from stored fat.

It’s actually not the sugar that’s evil, it’s the volume in which it’s eaten and that link to obesity. Sugar is not an evil; in fact, it is a source of energy for cell metabolism. Excess of sugar is bad for a patient who has diabetes because he or she has insulin deficiency and insulin resistance. Therefore, sugar which is in excess of metabolic needs enters alternate pathways of cell metabolism and generates substances, which can cause damage to organs and tissues. Excess of sugar is bad for a patient who is overweight or obese because what is in excess of metabolic needs is stored in the body as fat. Can sugar consumption up the risk of cancer?

If sugar doesn’t cause cancer, why worry about it? Cancer patients need to control their sugar intake only if they are diabetic or obese. But yes, sugar can cause obesity which can increase the risk of getting different types of cancer.

Image source: Shutterstock

Published: January 12, 2018 12:15 pm | Updated:January 12, 2018 12:19 pm

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