Does sugar feed cancer cells?
The short answer is no — with a big qualifying “but.” Glucose (sugar) is the primary fuel for most of the cells in the body, including the brain, muscles, and — yes — even cancer cells. It’s the preferred fuel because it’s easily taken up by most cells throughout the body to use as an energy source. But to say that sugar feeds cancer is a misstatement. Elevated levels of blood sugar stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas. If insulin levels remain elevated for long periods of time, this causes an increase in inflammation — basically, the body’s normal immune response goes into a kind of unhealthy overdrive. Then, through a complex and coordinated series of events, tumor cells use this inflammatory process to signal cells to multiply. It’s the prolonged release of insulin in response to chronic elevations in blood sugar that’s the true problem. The goal, therefore — and the most important concept to understand — is that through the foods you choose to eat, you can creat
