Eating less sugar can really prevent cancer!

This article was reviewed by Dr. Guo Xiaoqiang, a popular science writer in the field of life sciences

Long-term high sugar intake will increase systemic inflammatory responses, such as diabetes, acne, tooth decay, and obesity, but many people don’t know that high sugar can also increase the risk of cancer, so limiting sugar can really prevent cancer.

Why high sugar intake?

Will it increase your risk of cancer?

Ling Yiqun and Wu Yan from the Department of Nutrition at the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Fudan University said that in 2019, a study of more than 100,000 people showed that drinking 100 ml of sugary drinks a day would increase the overall risk of cancer by 18%. The researchers proposed some possible explanations for these results, including the effects of sugar in sugary drinks on visceral fat, blood sugar levels and inflammatory markers, all of which are associated with an increased risk of cancer.

Long-term high sugar intake can lead to obesity and insulin resistance, causing oxidative stress, endocrine disorders and immune dysfunction, thereby increasing the risk of tumors.

After a tumor has occurred, cancer cells will use anaerobic glycolysis of sugar as their main energy source, so whether you are an ordinary person or a cancer patient, you should control your intake of added sugar.

100,000 people studied

“Added sugars” are especially linked to cancer!

Added sugar refers to sugar and syrup added to food during the production and preparation of food, excluding sugar naturally contained in food. It mainly includes:

White sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, molasses, honey, pancake syrup, concentrated fruit juice and glucose, etc.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2020 also involved more than 100,000 people aged 18 and above (average age 40.8 years), with an average follow-up of 5.9 years, and recorded their sugar intake through diet. The results found:

Research screenshots

1) Total sugar intake was associated with a higher risk of total cancer, and this association was mainly from breast cancer;

2) Added sugars, free sugars, sucrose, milk-based desserts, sugars in dairy products and sugary beverages are significantly associated with an increased risk of cancer.

Sugary drinks, as one of the foods with added sugar, are now popular among many young people. A survey on the consumption of sugary drinks by adults in nine provinces in my country from 2004 to 2009 found that the consumption rate in 2009 increased by 10% compared with 2004. Although it did not exceed the value recommended by the World Health Organization, the overall consumption trend was also on the rise.

It’s best not to eat any sugar at all?

no!

So, since sugar is a “sweet burden”, should we not eat it at all?

Not really!

Sugar is a kind of energy, and there is also sugar in the staple food we eat. The rice, steamed bread, noodles, porridge, biscuits, etc. that we usually eat are all in the category of sugar, including polysaccharides (such as starch), monosaccharides (glucose, fructose) and disaccharides (sucrose), etc., which can provide energy.

What we should limit most is added sugar and refined sugar, but we are not allowed to eat them at all. It is best to keep it below 25 grams.

Li Ying, from the Nutrition Department of Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, said that staple foods are the most economical, affordable and least burdensome source of energy for the liver and kidneys, and the only source of energy for the central nervous cells in the human brain is blood sugar.

Therefore, the most important thing is to eat sugar wisely!

1) Learn to read the ingredient list. Eat less food that contains added sugar, such as sweetened drinks, snacks, biscuits, and sticky rice.

2) The staple food should be coarse. Refined sugar and low-fiber white rice and white flour are both high GI foods. GI is the glycemic index, which refers to the degree of change in blood sugar in the body after consuming food. High GI foods have a greater impact on blood sugar. It is recommended to ensure that at least one-third of the staple food every day is coarse grains. Coarse grains mainly include:

Cereals: corn, millet, red rice, black rice, purple rice, sorghum, barley, oats, buckwheat, etc.;

Miscellaneous beans: soybeans, mung beans, red beans, black beans, broad beans, peas, etc.;

Tubers: sweet potato, yam, potato, etc.

3) Sugar-free does not mean that it can be consumed without restrictions. Wang Xu from the Nutrition Department of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital said in 2021 that the "National Food Safety Standard General Rules for Nutrition Labeling of Pre-packaged Foods" (GB 28050-2011) stipulates that sugar content "≤0.5g/100g (solid) or 100ml (liquid)" can be called "no or no sugar", and its synonym can be "zero (0) sugar".

So, sugar-free does not mean there is no sugar at all.

In addition, even if there is no sucrose, the product may contain fructose, maltose syrup, maltodextrin, etc.; even if there is no sugar, it may contain sugar substitutes (sweeteners). Although the calories are low, studies have shown that sugar substitute drinks may also increase the risk of first-time new cardiovascular disease, and excessive intake of sugar alcohol sugar substitutes may cause diarrhea. Excessive consumption is also not recommended.

Source: Health Times

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