Cancer Cells Are Fueled By Sugary Drinks

Obesity is linked to colorectal cancer which is the third most common diagnosis in Americans, and the third leading cause of cancer related death, although the death rate is decreasing the actual number of people being diagnosed is increasing. 

Not many studies have considered the association between high sugar intake and the risk of colorectal cancer or other forms of cancer; animal studies from Baylor College of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medicine have recently found definite links between increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup and accelerated tumor growth in mice with colorectal cancer. 

HFCS is an artificial syrup that is commonly used in sugary drinks and processed foods that is bad for human health for several reasons because it unnaturally increases fructose in the diet that can cause issues when consumed in large amounts as the body is not equipped to process it properly; it is easily converted to fat which can cause type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease; in general it is linked to increased inflammation; and it is empty junk adding no nutritional value to diet. 

Mice were allowed to drink sugary beverages freely, which resulted in significant weight gain in one month. To determine if corn syrup boosted cancer growth independent of obesity sugary drinks were administered in away that the animals could ingest it without putting on weight; animals were given sugary drinks through specially designed syringes orally once a day for 2 months. After 2 months the animals had not put on much weight but they had developed larger and more advanced tumors than the controls drinking water. 

According to the researchers findings show animals who already had early stage tumours that consumed even modest amounts of HRCS experienced accelerated growth and tumor progression, even when not obese. 

“Further research is needed to translate these [sic] discovery to people,” explained co-author Jihye Yun of Baylor College of Medicine. “However, our findings in animal models suggest that chronic consumption of sugary drinks can shorten the time it takes cancer to develop.”