New Discovery: Sugar Makes Cancer Cells More Aggressive

Recent studies in the medical field have found out that tumors and cancer cells are linked to sugar. This white substance is said to ‘awaken’ these bad cells and makes them more aggressive, thus, spreading fast inside our body.

One study being hailed as a crucial breakthrough in cancer research was a nine-year research project led by VIB, KEU Leuven, and VUB. Scientists in the project finally explain how the Warburg Effect (a phenomenon where cancer cells rapidly break down sugars) fuels tumor progression.

This project which was published in the academic journal Nature Communications was initiated in 2008 focusing on how significantly high amounts of sugar are being converted into lactate by tumors compared to healthy tissues.

Even with the fact that it has been studied comprehensively, the effect of this phenomenon has still no clear evidence whether it is a symptom or a cause of cancer.

But a recent discovery provides a strong evidence citing a positive link between sugar and oncogenic potency in cancerous cells.

According to professor Johan Thevelein,

“Our research reveals how the hyperactive sugar consumption of cancerous cells leads to a vicious cycle of continued stimulation of cancer development and growth,”

“Thus, it is able to explain the correlation between the strength of the Warburg effect and tumor aggressiveness.”

The Surprising Amounts Of Sugar In Food And Drinks

According to researchers, these recent discoveries will have “sweeping consequences” and will offer a good “foundation for future research in this domain”. Moreover, it will also have an impact on suitable and appropriate diets for cancer patients.

What’s essential to the discovery was the yeast cell research wherein in they found out that they contain the same “Ras” (a protein commonly found in tumor cells) that causes cancer in their mutated form.

As a model organism, yeast has been used by the research team to determine the link between the extremely active metabolisms of sugar and the activity of Ras in yeast.

Professor Johan Thevelein further says that,

“We observed in yeast that sugar degradation is linked via the intermediate fructose 1,6-biophosphate to the activation of Ras proteins, which stimulate the multiplication of both yeast and cancer cells,”

“It is striking that this mechanism has been conserved throughout the long evolution of yeast cell to human.”

The sad truth about the food we eat today is almost everything that tastes good is what basically puts your health in jeopardy. Sugar, as far as nutritional value is concerned, has zero… zilch! You can always opt for things that are natural and organic to add flavor to your food just as we always recommend here on our website.