L.A. Times: It's Getting Clearer - The Diet-Cancer Connection Points to Sugar and Carbs
By Sam Apple
In August 2016, the New England Journal of Medicine published a report examining the connection between cancer and excess body fat. The report identified thirteen cancers that are associated with being overweight or obese, including colon, thyroid, ovarian, uterine, pancreatic, and postmenopausal breast cancer.
Additional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that approximately 631,000 Americans were diagnosed with body fat related cancers in 2014. This represented about forty percent of all cancers diagnosed that year.
These findings suggest that lifestyle factors, including diet, may play a significant role in cancer risk. However, the studies do not prove that excess body fat directly causes cancer. Instead, they indicate a strong association that warrants further investigation.
The idea that diet may influence cancer risk is not new. Researchers have explored this question for decades, though nutrition science presents challenges. Cancer often develops over many years, making controlled dietary experiments difficult to conduct.
Observational studies, which track eating habits and health outcomes over time, often produce mixed or confusing results. Conflicting headlines about food and cancer risk reflect these limitations.
Despite these challenges, progress has been made in the field of cancer metabolism. This area of research focuses on how cancer cells use nutrients from the diet to fuel growth and reproduction.
Scientists have discovered that many cancer related genes influence how cells take up and use energy. This insight has renewed interest in understanding how diet affects cancer development.
Lewis Cantley, director of the cancer center at Weill Cornell Medicine, has studied the relationship between obesity, insulin, and cancer. His research suggests that elevated insulin levels may help drive cancer growth by promoting cell proliferation and increased glucose uptake.
Insulin itself is essential for life. However, chronically elevated insulin levels, often seen in insulin resistance, can expose tissues to excessive growth signals and fuel sources. This environment may contribute to tumor development.
These findings suggest that cancer risk may be influenced not only by how much people eat, but also by the types of foods consumed. Easily digestible carbohydrates and added sugars are more likely to raise insulin levels.
Researchers caution that this does not mean all cancers are caused by sugar or that sugar must be completely avoided. Instead, moderation is emphasized. Some experts recommend treating sugar as an occasional ingredient rather than a dietary staple.
Nutrition research is complex, but advances in cancer metabolism are providing clearer insight into how diet may influence long term health. Understanding these mechanisms may help guide future cancer prevention strategies.
Sam Apple teaches science journalism at the University of Pennsylvania and is working on a book about cancer metabolism.
Source: Los Angeles Times
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