Sugar, cancer & health. Here’s the science.

You can skip to the science below, but the following context may help for the reasoning of this post.

During my research and practice in healing, I’ve found people suggesting there is no link between sugar and cancer and some often say science suggests the same.

However, based on my initial research of scientific literature, there is evidence (as below) suggesting that high sugar intake may increase cancer risk and negatively impact cancer outcomes, though more research is still needed in some areas.

So, there is a possibility of sugar negatively impacting healing and perhaps preventing a longer life span of someone with cancer.

With this possibility does it not make sense to avoid any risk by attempting to reduce or just stop consuming sugar with conditions such as cancer, especially sugar(s) known to have a negative effect on healing and health, and instead to have healthier forms of sugar and sweeteners such as those in fruit, vegetables and stevia?

Initial research from scientific literature:

Here are some key points about the relationship between sugar and cancer, with links to scientific literature:

1. Increased cancer risk
   • Higher intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) was associated with increased risk of several types of cancer, including:
     • Overall cancer risk ((Debras et al., 2020; Liu & Ye, 2012))
     • Breast cancer ((Huang et al., 2023; Liu & Ye, 2012))
     • Colorectal cancer ((Ferrarelli, 2014; Li et al., 2021))
     • Endometrial cancer ((Parker et al., 2021))
     • Liver cancer ((DiGiulio, 2017))
   • High sugar intake was linked to increased risk of obesity-related cancers ((Debras et al., 2020; Epner et al., 2022))

2. Poorer cancer outcomes:
   • Higher SSB intake after diagnosis was associated with increased risk of cancer recurrence and mortality in colon cancer patients ((Liu et al., 2022))
   • Higher sugar intake was linked to poorer breast cancer survival ((Yun et al., 2021))

3. Potential mechanisms:
   • Sugar may promote cancer through:
     • Increased inflammation ((Hur et al., 2021))
     • Insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction ((Du et al., 2020; Hur et al., 2021))
     • Providing fuel for cancer cell growth ((Eroglu et al., 2017; Scorei & Popa, 2013))
     • Altering gene expression and cell signaling pathways ((Scorei & Popa, 2013; Tsujikawa et al., 2020))

4. Caveats and limitations:
   • Some studies found no significant association between sugar intake and certain cancers ((Romanos-Nanclares et al., 2018))
   • More research is needed on artificial sweeteners, with mixed findings so far ((Akella et al., 2019; DiGiulio, 2017))

5. Recommendations:
   • Reducing sugar intake, especially from SSBs, may help lower cancer risk ((Liu & Ye, 2012; Pacheco et al., 2019))
   • Following dietary patterns low in added sugars is advised for cancer prevention and survivorship ((Yun et al., 2021))

As above, does it make sense with conditions such as cancer to have healthier forms of sugar and sweeteners such as those in fruit, vegetables and stevia?