Sugar Shakedown

…..sigh…this coming from the woman who loves sweets, and in fact craves sweets, and an occasional glass of wine.

The fact is, alcohol is a known cause of cancers of the mouth, throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx), esophagus, liver, colon, rectum, and breast. It may also increase risk of cancer of the pancreas. It is not known exactly HOW drinking alcohol leads to cancer, but there is a definite link. Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine and Boston University School of Public Health have shown that alcohol is a major contributor to cancer deaths. These findings, published in the April 2013 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, show that alcohol is a carcinogen, even when consumed in small amounts. Therefore reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption is an important cancer prevention strategy.

Two simple facts: alcohol and sodas are high in sugar or artificial sweeteners, and they contain zero nutrients. It is a known fact that cancer LOVES sugar! Cancer cells consume anywhere from ten to fifty times more glucose than normal cells do! So in fact, when you feed your body sugar, you are actually feeding cancer cells. . . . . kinda makes you want to give up sweets, huh? 

Excess soda can also lead to weight gain, which is another risk factor for cancer. If you think that switching to diet soda is better, think again. Diet soda drinkers have twice the amount of obesity than the general population. Artificial sweeteners are no better than sugar.  In fact, they are toxic. They are up to 100 times sweeter than real sugar, which blunts the taste of nature’s sugar, such as that found in fruit. They also increase the craving for sugar since the brain has receptors designed for sugar that do not accept the artificial substitute. Don’t be fooled by drinks that tout “all natural flavors”, since these natural flavors are actually Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in disguise! MSG is a neurotoxin that is hidden in many foods, under many different labels, including “natural flavors”. While there is no direct link between MSG and cancer, it has been linked to brain lesions, neuro-endocrine disorders, and neuro-degenerative disease, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Sugar suppresses a key immune response known as phagocytosis – the Pac-Man effect of the immune system.  Consuming 10 teaspoons of sugar can cause about a 50% reduction in phagocytosis.   If you consider the sugar in your cereal, the syrup on your waffles and pancakes, the sugar added to your morning coffee or tea, the sugar in cold beverages like iced tea or lemonade, the HFCS in prepared foods, salad dressing and ketchup, and of course sugary snacks and desserts, you can see how easy it is to suppress your immune systems significantly. 

Not only the amount of sugar, but also the frequency of ingesting sugar is relevant to immune function. In one study, research subjects were found to have nearly a 38% decrease in phagocytosis one hour after ingesting a moderate amount of sugar. Two hours later, the immune system was suppressed 44%; immune function did not recover completely for a full five hours. So, it lowers your immune system, which a cancer patient does NOT need!

When sugar in any form is consumed, the pancreas releases insulin.  Breast tissue, for example, contains insulin receptors, and insulin is a powerful stimulant of cell growth.  One group of Australian researchers concluded that high levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) may actually be causative of cancers of the breast, prostate, endometrium and pancreas. A broad study conducted in 21 countries in Europe, North America and Asia concluded that sugar intake is a strong risk factor contributing to higher breast cancer rates, particularly in older women. A four-year study at the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection in the Netherlands compared 111 biliary tract cancer patients with 480 healthy controls. Sugar intake was associated with more than double the cancer risk!!!

And here's another thing: Humans are the only mammals on the planet who consume the milk of another mammal! We are not baby cows and our bodies were not designed to drink a beverage that nature intended to make calves gain hundreds of pounds in a matter of months! Whether or not dairy causes or promotes cancer is still open to debate. The fact is, factory farms inject their cattle with a substance called IGF-1, which has been linked to cancer. In addition, in order to keep them producing milk, cows are also injected with estrogen, which we know feeds hormonal cancers, such as breast cancer. Since the type of cancer that I had was estrogen fed, I'm supposed to avoid dairy like the plague! So, those late night bowls of cereal are just a memory. 

Scientists have found that sugar is addictive and stimulates the same pleasure centers of the brain as cocaine or heroin. Just like those hard-core drugs, getting off sugar leads to withdrawal and cravings, requiring an actual detox process to wean a body from.

So basically, I'm addicted. Sugar is my drug and I'm having a very difficult time giving it up. I crave it!  I want to remain cancer free, and I really want to cut out the sugar as much as possible, but I fail miserably. The craving becomes too great and I cheat. Sugar Shakedown. . . . . . It's a process.