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Sugar and Cancer

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Is Sugar bad for Cancer ?

23 replies

The sugar doesn't necessarily cause cancer, but it feeds the cancer cells 8 times more than normal cells...it's what the cancer cells go for first...they kinda feed on the sugar. So, that's why I have cut out sugar from my diet.

Now, some people say not to eat fruit because of the sugars...but take for instance, the mangosteen fruit. I drink mangosteen juice daily. When the cancer cells go for the sugar in the juice, it's like a chemical ambush. There are other chemicals in the fruit juice that ambush the cancer cells and kill them. It's like that with other fruits and vegs, too. Ground ginger fights cancer...so, I juice organic carrots, apple, celery and ground ginger...there are lots of things I have added to my every day eating plan that I believe fight cancer cells.

I hope that helps :)

Blessings and hugs!!!

Sugar moves through our body through the blood stream--Blood sugar-- As long as are bodies are producing insulin alittle sugar with a well balanced diet should be ok.

Mangosteen is an anti oxidant --most oncologists prefer that we avoid these while on chemotherapy. Check with your oncologist before adding supplements and vitamins that could interfere with chemotherapy.

Info on mangosteen:
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3x_Mangosteen_Juice.asp

I drank lots of mangosteen juice the whole time I was on chemo....kept me from getting any infections as our immunity is so low from the chemo....never had a problem...mangosteen juice is full of antioxidants and xanthones. My gyn/onc knew I was drinking it and taking vitamins, too...he never told me not to do any of it...in fact, he tells me to keep on doing what I'm doing!

Blessings and hugs!!

I took no anti oxidants, supplements or vitamins during my chemotherapy. I had no treatment delays or dose reductions and experienced no infections. Needed no Neupogen, Procrit or blood transfusions. So just as each of us experience side effects like nausea and vomiting--some needing little medication others needing more then the routine likewise we experience blood count changes (causing anemia and infections) individually. I chose not to take anything that might interfere with chemotherapy that has been proven through clinical trials to be able to put me remission. I feared that adding an unknown to the mix could change the outcome. But everyone must make their own judgment and do what makes them most comfortable. Now that I have completed chemotherapy I have started some supplements and vitamins and looking into Chinese herb medicine.

The National Cancer Institue has done some studies on alternative therapies and supplements.
I have decided not to take any therapy, herb or supplement that a study has been proven by clinical trial not to help. Just as I would not take a chemotherapy that has been proven not to be effective.

This is a list of studies:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/cam

This is a list of herbs:
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/herbsataglance.htm

I've been told not to take any supplements at all during all the different chemos I've had. I recently asked about drinking green tea and was told "it's okay, but don't drink it all day."

Use good common sense and have a well-balanced diet, with lots of fluid. Always ask your doctor if you are thinking of trying something.

Many of the new targeted drugs home in on a receptor (EGFR) that is abundant on the surface of cancer cells. By blocking this receptor, it disrupts cellular signals that cause tumor cells to grow and prolifereate.

Some targeted drugs work by preventing an enzyme (tyrosine kinase) from launching a signaling cascade that fuels tumor cell growth. However, the limited response to these treatments (10% to 20%) has caused cancer experts to wonder if EGFR's role in the disease is limited.

Scientists at M.D. Anderson reported that they discovered that EGFR plays a second role in promoting the survival of cancer cells. It can help tumor cells get a constant and plentiful supply of the sugar glucose, a critical nutrient. Despite interference from the targeted drugs, EGFR also can help the cancer cells thrive by helping to assure their food supply (glucose).

EGFR does this by binding to and stabilizing another protein on the cell surface called SGLT1 (sodium/glucose co-transporter). Without this mechanism, the cell will undergo glucose starvation (the cell essentially devours itself and dies).

The glucose role is independent and thus unaffected by turning off the kinase-activated growth signals. Even with drugs that block the kinase activity, the tumor cell that expresses very high levels of EGFR and very high levels of SGLT1 will remain viable.

That is why in chemotherapy treatment selection, EGF-targeted drugs are poorly-predicted by measuring the preferred target EGFR. They can, however, be well-predicted by measuring the effect of the drugs on the "function" (the net effect of all processes) of live cells.

There are many pathways/mechanisms to the altered cellular (forest) function, hence all the different pathways/mechanisms (trees) which correlate in different situations. Improvement can be made by measuring what happens at the end (the effects on the forest), rather than the status of the individual trees (pathways/mechanisms).

Many of these drugs cry out for validated clinical biomarkers as pharmacodynamic endpoints and with the ability to measure multiple parameters in cellular screens (assays) to help set dosage and select people likely to respond (clinical responders). You still need to measure the net effect of all processes, not just the individual molecular targets.

uju99

I loaded on Goji juice during and after chemotherapy.
I drank a liter a day. The purpose of this was to try to bring my internal PH up to a slightly alkaline medium.
It is my understanding that when the internal body is at a PH of 7.2 to 7.4 the internal body PH will be at an optimal level so that one's own immune system can fight off disease and illness.
Sugar is acidic so the more acidic foods one eats, the lower the PH of the internal body becomes.
There are Alkaline food charts available on the internet that one can download to figure out which foods are better for one's health.
My CA-125 was 1345 at diagnosis and after 2 chemo treatments as well as loading on the juice, I asked for another CA-125 just to see if the levels had dropped.
I had gotten on Mayo Clinic's website to read about
CA-125 levels and read where if one's CA-125 dropped by 50% after the completion of chemotherapy that one would have a better prognosis.
Mine dropped to 7.5 after 2 chemo treatments and
loading on the goji juice. I found this to be significant.
My Oncologist didn't want me to drink the goji juice but I felt that I had to do what I thought best and I certainly don't feel that the goji juice did any harm.
There are Oncologists who support the effects that the goji juice offers and others who don't.
As the old saying goes, "you are what you eat".
Find an alkaline food chart and read about which foods are more acidic and try to stay away from as many of them as possible.
You can test your internal PH by putting saliva on a plastic spoon and testing the saliva with PH strips.
Hope this information is helpful.
Blessings!
Luann

Well if it means anything. I agree with Shamrock and Favorite Aunt.
Let me say this , I watch a sensible normal plan.
Nothing but good eating. AND exercise 90 min a day.
My Ca125 was never about 70s
After the first time in treamentmy CA125 went to 2 the first time after one treatment. Can we explain that? Probally not.
I had a BP that was dangerously high. Its now 105 over 65
My pulse used to be fast , its 67 at rest.
I used to be a BAD diabetic. Im a normal sugar of 85 to 93. After eating I dont peak above 130
I still take 10 units of lantus nightly but thats it.
My Chlestrol just came back again. ITs 145 .
Now im not knocking doing these things, if you think in your mind and heart it works so be it.
Fat as I am from the chemo, I take care of me.
My doctor is astonished my numbers are that good.
Its cause I eat a rounded diet. And I feel this, once in awhile I cheat. I feel life is way to short to eat and drink things I cant stomach.
I got almost a 5 year remission. I got NED as of current but doing 3 more rounds. I follwed what my doctors said and it worked for me, I trust their knowledge on this.
Im not telling you not to drink this or that. Again its a personal choice. I just feel good old fashion sense works for me and thats just my opinion.
While I dont Advocate eating Mcdonalds every day and consuming gallons of Coke. I dont feel once in a bit it will kill you. i wont spend my life sucking down todu cause it MIGHT make me live longer. Chances are it wont. Again JMO.
Good luck to what you do.

I think some think all we do is drink our mangosteen juice or goji juice and that's our diet! Far from it! We drink our juices like y'all drink your orange juice in the morning! C'mon...don't tell me you don't drink your orange juice! I don't take vitamin C's and other vitamin supplements like that because I get my antioxidants in my juice! I do take coral calcium and vitamin D3, zinc, magnesium as most of us are deficient in magnesium, B17, and a digestive enzyme before my meals.

I've seen just as many studies and articles that have said that antioxidants are very important when your body is in a crisis...as in fighting ovarian cancer. My gyn/onc knew what I was taking and okayed it...so, as my numbers have gone from 1157 to 8, I'd say it's a good idea indeed!

Hey, everyone has the right to make their own decision...just as my oncologist recommended I take two chemo drugs as it was standard, and I decided to take only one, he said it was my own decision. And he was fine with that. The decision is ultimately ours alone what we do with our bodies. After all, it's what we've always done, heh?

Blessings and hugs!!!

abbaschild, I dont think any of you drink only juice. I really feel you eat other things I never implied you were on a strict juice diet. But my feeling is just in some people ( im not saying you do this) get very blindsided about certain things take it run with it and think it will cure cancer. I for one minute dont think eatig healthy and exercising is going to cure my cancer. Do I feel better? The answer is yes I do. I should add I do juice only FRESH orange juice and drink 3 cups daily.
I do juice with fruits and take vitimins my doctor suggested it. Like I said each is own , I respect what you do , you got to do what you gotta do for you.
I just feel if it was a miracle and it would cure me , even me and so many other folks would probally do it.
I do wish sucess in all you choose though.

Cheryl,
" I for one minute dont think eatig healthy and exercising is going to cure my cancer."
But is seems to have kept you in remission for 5 years, who knows what would have happened if you had been eating junk instead? Maybe it won't CURE your cancer, but it might keep it at bay for as long as you continue eating healthy and exercizing! I hope that's what is going to happen!

Is sugar bad for cancer: YES
And not only "sugar" but everything that has a high glycemic index.

Hey, Cheryl!

Did you know that fresh orange juice and the whole orange is known for its antioxidant properties and has also shown to lower blood pressure as well as cholesterol? It's also known to prevent DNA mutations in cells which means it's fighting against cancer, and it also reduces the severity of inflammatory conditions like asthma, oseoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

So, you see, we're on the same page! I also juice daily. Good for you :)

Blessings and hugs!!!

There has been research on sugar's relationship to tumors.
The conversion of sugar utilized by tumors is on a cellular level.
This is what the researcher who recently found the relationship to glutamine , sugar and tumors says about dietary sugar intake:
"The fact that cancer cells might die if deprived of glucose doesn't mean cancer patients should cut sugar out of their diets, researchers say.

Cancer patients should eat a balanced diet to promote good health. Cutting out sugar would not inhibit tumor growth, said Don Ayer, a professor of oncological sciences at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Even with a sugar-free diet, there still would be plenty of glucose in the blood to feed cancer."
Read more about sugar and tumor research done by Ayer:
http://www.sltrib.com/health/ci_13179951

As I noted in my prior post I took no supplements etc. This is my hsitory:
Debulking surgery 1/2009 -Stage IIIC high grade serous epithelial OvCa.

831 Pre Chemotherapy
193 After cycle 1
56 After cycle 2
24 After cycle 3
12 After cycle 4
8 After cycle 5
7 After cycle 6
7 I month after chemo
6 2 months after chemo
6 3 months after chemo
7 4 months after chemo

I agree with Don Ayer Shamrock. Like Mom said who knows? Maybe it did. But Im going with the fact that I feel truly truly in my heart , its the luck of the draw. Everybodies bodies makup how the respond are so diffrent. Who knows? When I say I juice I juice ONLY fruits, no veggies, I eat those by the truckload. I juice and make tons of smoothies, actally usally a smoothie for lunch everyday, but you know what I drink um cause I love um NOT cause I got to? Do I make sense? But im not obsssed about it, If one day I want a bacon cheezeburger you bet im having it. Chances are im eating a salad with it though.
Sugar is bad in too much for everybody, cancer or not.
But like I said if 3 times a year im gonna eat a cinnabon im not going to kill myself for it.
I cant say either way eating right helps, Im still fat, havent lost any weight. This chemo all through I was 240. I lost 120 pounds from 5 years ago going through the first time .I remained in remission for almost 5 years. Its a lot to think about.

I have maintained a CA-125 in the 3's and 4's since chemo. The highest has been 4.8.
I still do what I can to keep my internal PH slightly above 7 as I believe that it helps my own immune system work more efficiently.
Before medicine made the strides that it has, people lived off the land. When I think of those who came before us, "medicine doctors", etc., they used berries and herbs to heal. It was before all of the chemicals, i.e., herbicides, pesticides, or pollution, etc., were introduced into the population. There must have been something beneficial in these concoctions.
I feel that genetic mutations, environment, and how we treat our bodies contributes to the big "C".
Some of us are predisposed to the disease.
I worked with chemicals for years and that might have been a contributing factor for me, my doctors certainly questioned it.
I believe that once we are in for the "fight of our lives", we will try anything to live.
Whether it be alternative or standard treatments or a mixture of both.
If the will to live is there, we will search for what we believe is the right path to a longer life.
Whatever will peak our own emotional and physical well being, that is the path we will take.
As I mentioned earlier, I did what I felt was right for me....after doing a lot of research, it was a gut feeling that helped me to make my decision.
As for a lot of us, I was blind sided by this disease and
knew very little about it before I my diagnosis.
I searched for every bit of information I could gather
once it hit home.
I passed my 2 year anniversary in 3/2009.
Who knows what the future holds, but as long as I retain the will to live, I will always do what feels right to me. I continually research news about studies, trials, and treatments that come through the pipeline and I can only hope and continue to pray that a cure will be found for all of us.
The posts on this sight have always given me food for thought and I for one appreciate the information and opinions that I read here...I certainly have learned a lot from others who are living with ovca.

Thanks for your information. Has anyone tried the Budwig Diet for ovca??

Thanks!
Dunya

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