On doing a regular shop at a supermarket, a volunteer for a cancer charity was giving away sweets at a local supermarket to people making donations, and from what the volunteer said, especially giving the sweets to children.

I asked the volunteer if he knew that sugar was not actually good for people with cancer. He said that he was only a volunteer and that he had diabetes and pulled out syringes from his pocket.

After such a reply I did not have much to say but did ask the volunteer if the charity had informed him that sugar was not good for people with cancer. He replied by saying "no".

With the experience of the above and discovering from research that sugar can actually be harmful to both healthy children and adults and especially to those with cancer, I felt it appropriate to post a few excerpts as below from an ebook titled "Sugar A Deadly Hidden Cause of Cancer" by Ty Bollinger of The Truth About Cancer"...

Sugar feels like your friend, offering comfort and respite.

The word “sugar” is pretty generic, used to describe foods that are considered simple carbohydrates. Any form of carbohydrate causes your body to release insulin.

Refined sugars (candy [sweets] or baked goods made from white flour, for instance) produce a bigger insulin release. Complex carbohydrates (such as vegetables and whole grains) cause a slower release.

Insulin then triggers the amino acid tryptophan, which then leads to the production of the neurotransmitters serotonin and beta-endorphin.

They act as natural painkillers, stress relievers, and mood lifters.

They even provide a boost of energy, sending a “feel good” message to your entire body that everything is great.

There are not only physical reactions within your body to sugar intake, there are also positive psychological associations that you might have carried from childhood.

Sugar – in the form of candy [sweets] or other treats – has been used as a “reward” system for thousands of years. It plays an enormous role in our holidays, birthdays, and other celebrations. In effect, sugar is considered an incentive for “good” behavior in many areas of our lives. We get positive reinforcement and it makes us feel good.

What’s the harm in that?

The immediate effect of sugar is only temporary. Within thirty minutes, your system will use up those “feel good” chemicals – going from a sugar high to a sugar low just like that. The result may make you feel tired, irritable, or even a little down. You want the experience again so you have a few more pieces of candy [sweets] or drink another soda…and the process repeats.

Over time, your body becomes conditioned to sugar highs but it is the long-term, devastating effects to your entire body that is most terrifying.

Sugar is your enemy.

Not only does refined sugar provide nothing in the way of vitamins, minerals, protein, or fats – essentially being no more than empty calories – it also raids your body of what it does have.

Such a side effect is especially dangerous to cancer patients and for those in remission.

The Sugar/Cancer Connection & Its Overall Impact on Your Body.

Too much sugar in the diet leads to countless issues such as obesity, depression, and rapid aging. The true dangers are the major diseases linked to sugar consumption and backed up by scientists from around the world, in almost every area of expertise.

Heart Disease.
Liver Disease.
Alzheimer’s Disease.
Diabetes.
Metabolic Syndrome / Insulin Resistance.

All of the diseases listed above are bad news but we’re going to focus on the connection between SUGAR and CANCER.

It is oversimplified to state, “Remove all sugar from your body or you’ll end up with cancer.” Your body and brain need fuel and sugar plays a big role in producing that fuel.

Let’s simplify the science. It all starts with how your body processes the foods you eat. Every time you eat, your body absorbs the food through your bloodstream.

Any sugars that you consume (both simple and complex carbohydrates) send a message to your pancreas that you need insulin. Insulin pumps through your body, grabs those carbohydrate molecules, and hauls them to the liver to be converted to fuel for your entire system.

Insulin is a hormone that the body utilizes to regulate sugar, metabolism, and cell growth (among others). As you consume more and more high-sugar foods, your pancreas releases greater and greater amounts of insulin.

Insulin resistance occurs when your individual cells don’t react to the hormone as effectively so your pancreas releases even more insulin to provide the same result.

Scientists estimate that 70 million people in the United States are insulin resistant.

Ultimately, your pancreas gets tired and can no longer produce enough insulin to counteract the effects of the foods you eat. You then move from insulin resistance to diabetes.

What does insulin resistance have to do with cancer? The answer is so relatively simple that it’s frightening. Insulin promotes healthy and non-healthy cell growth.

Cancer relies on insulin for fuel to grow, multiply, and spread. CEO of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Craig Thompson, explained that the more insulin you have in your body, the more cancer will thrive.

Research done at Harvard Medical School’s Cancer Center found that 80% of all cancers will mutate and mimic the effect of insulin. In fact, their current research is focused on finding an “insulin inhibitor” for use in cancer treatment.

Click here to download the full free ebook & also a video for more research about sugars & sweeteners from "The Truth About Cancer".

Note: I have not fully eliminated sugar from my diet but am doing my best and working on it.

Images are from Wikipedia.