Does Sugar Feed Cancer?

You may have heard or read that "sugar feeds cancer". There does seem to be some evidence that this may be true. It has something to do with the way that many tumors live and grow. The theory goes something like this: As they develop, tumors form their own self contained metabolism that rely on simple sugars to grow. Reduce the amount of sugar that is available in the bloodstream and you hinder the tumor's ability to expand. Maintain high levels of simple sugars in the bloodstream and the cancer flourishes. The strong message here is that any cancer patient should replace simple sugars with complex carbohydrates and lean protein in their diet. Several things to note. First of all, isn't that what all of us should do, whether we have cancer or not? I will spare you the details about the dangers of elevated insulin levels and the serious rise of diabetes in the America today. Second, all cancers are not as nutritionally sensitive as others. For example, my type of cancer, Multiple Myeloma, does not seem to react to changes in nutrition. The same can be said for other bone marrow and some blood cancers. In some type of cancers, there is no tumor to feed. Even so, good nutrition is important to help keep our bodies strong to help fight our cancer and to help us withstand radiation and chemotherapy. I confess that I have a horrible sweet tooth! I would rather have a piece of cake or pie than a good cut of meat or second serving of salmon. But let's face it. Sweets are empty calories. It wouldn't hurt any of us to eat more blueberries, walnuts, flax seed and whole fruit and less processed bread, potatoes and candy. You get the idea! Feel good and keep smiling- Pat