cancer vs. sugar

Options
lawleete
lawleete Member Posts: 25
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
hello to all.i hope that all is going well with everyone.i want to ask for opinions from some of you.i've seen articles on the internet and read posts here about sugar intake and how it can affect the growth of tumors.i'm a kaiser member and have been treated by my oncologist since 2001.he has 26 years of experience in the cancer field and i've always trusted him with my treatments.i showed him an article about cancer loving sugar and causing tumors to grow with the intake of sugar.he gave me an opinion that was very technical but essentially said that everyone needs sugar and if they didn't get any,that the body would eventually shut down.he said you don't want to eat excess sugar when there are healthier things to eat and he did stress vegetables.his final words were sugar is not going to cause my cancer to grow. i would like some of your opinions if you have talked to your doctor about this issue.i've cut down on my sugar (not that it was bad before)
i just don't want to help the cancer grow.any comments would be appreciated.thanks very much and may god bless all cancer patients and their caregivers!

Comments

  • CAMaura
    CAMaura Member Posts: 719 Member
    Options
    HI there,

    Well, I have a few comments - and I am in no way speaking ill of your doc. Western medicine does not teach or prompt high nutritional standards; med school has about 1-3 classes is nutrition - and nothing to do with preventitive or treatment-based nutrition. Your doc is right that a body needs sugar. In the grand scheme of things, he is considering sugars to be carbohydrates. But refined sugars are really bad for tumors. Why? Because they are so easily set into fast metabolism-action. In reality, refined anything is bad for tumors. Remember that cancer cells go through more than one change before they become active. With the last change, they can replicate like mad - and they need to eat something while they are growing. They can grow much faster with a ready supply of stuff that is really easy to eat. Does this make sense?
    I would read all of the articles. I really wish that our docs worked at understanding the dynamics of nutrition...but they don't - or, most don't.
    There are ways to really help our systems become less tolerant of cancer growth. Emily, Lisa P and I am sure many more can help you - probably more than I.
    Some have taken themselves totally off of refined sugars; some people deal with dietary change by eating sugary things in moderation.
    Stress also helps cancer grow.....so there things like peace and lifestyle which matter as well......so balance is important.

    See what you think and I am sure you will read some other great posts about this.

    Best of luck.
    Cheers,
    Maura
  • 2bhealed
    2bhealed Member Posts: 2,064 Member
    Options
    hello there,

    Here is how I understand it:

    Cancer cannot grow in an alkaline environment. It likes an acid pH. Sugar puts your body into an acid state therefore you are creating a better environment for the cancer to grow.

    Our bodies need glucose--it does NOT I repeat NOT need refined white sugar which you will find in just about anything.

    Sugar is also a substance that creates inflammation in your system. Inflammation creates a ripe environment for many ailments.....arthritis, Crohns, cancer, etc.

    We need natural occuring "sugars" from veggies and fruits and grains to feed our brains. But there is never a reason our bodies "need" white processed sugar. Never. Ever.

    Read Sugar Blues if you want a good reason to never pick up some C&H again.

    It is important to feed your body at a cellular level.....and sugar is only junk, empty calories, and has not a smidgeon of nutritional value whatsoever. When we are dealing with a potential death sentence with a cancer diagnosis doesn't it make sense to feed the body only good wholesome nutrients that encourage the body to heal and not to fall apart?

    I would get a second opinion from a Naturopathic nutritionally based doctor who focuses on natural healing over practicing medicine. They both have their place in our lives but asking a medicine focused allopathic doctor about nutritional healing is like going to a plumber to fix your car.

    peace, emily who first experienced this travesty of nutritional ignorance 22 years ago with a neurosurgeon when he swore my migraines had NOTHING to do with what I ate--they did--and it was sugar and dairy and msg.......
  • CAMaura
    CAMaura Member Posts: 719 Member
    Options
    2bhealed said:

    hello there,

    Here is how I understand it:

    Cancer cannot grow in an alkaline environment. It likes an acid pH. Sugar puts your body into an acid state therefore you are creating a better environment for the cancer to grow.

    Our bodies need glucose--it does NOT I repeat NOT need refined white sugar which you will find in just about anything.

    Sugar is also a substance that creates inflammation in your system. Inflammation creates a ripe environment for many ailments.....arthritis, Crohns, cancer, etc.

    We need natural occuring "sugars" from veggies and fruits and grains to feed our brains. But there is never a reason our bodies "need" white processed sugar. Never. Ever.

    Read Sugar Blues if you want a good reason to never pick up some C&H again.

    It is important to feed your body at a cellular level.....and sugar is only junk, empty calories, and has not a smidgeon of nutritional value whatsoever. When we are dealing with a potential death sentence with a cancer diagnosis doesn't it make sense to feed the body only good wholesome nutrients that encourage the body to heal and not to fall apart?

    I would get a second opinion from a Naturopathic nutritionally based doctor who focuses on natural healing over practicing medicine. They both have their place in our lives but asking a medicine focused allopathic doctor about nutritional healing is like going to a plumber to fix your car.

    peace, emily who first experienced this travesty of nutritional ignorance 22 years ago with a neurosurgeon when he swore my migraines had NOTHING to do with what I ate--they did--and it was sugar and dairy and msg.......

    Thanks Em. I use 'sugar' too liberally....I use it for carbohydrate.... Anything that is easily broken down to glucose really is bad for us - or anyone...
  • JKendall
    JKendall Member Posts: 186
    Options
    Man, do I feel like a hypocrit (misspelled I'm sure) for writing this as I guzzle down a Dr Pepper!

    I'm with Emily and Maura on this one all the way. Every thing I've read says stay away from refined sugars because cancer loves it!!! They use sugar and radioactive "stuff" (my medical technology is poor) to do the PET scans because the cancer cells suck up the radioactive sugar and give up their hiding places in your body.

    Try thinking about it like this: We are mammals. Does any other mammal on earth seek out refined sugar in it's natural environment? NO! And they survive just fine!

    Geez...here comes the guilt to go with that Dr. Pepper. I'll probably get struck with lightening any moment now (CRRAAACKKK!!!!!) uuuggghhh. (sizzle, flame out, ashes and a grease spot where Jimmy once sat in a now smoldering chair.)

    Take care all. Jimmy
  • scouty
    scouty Member Posts: 1,965 Member
    Options
    This is an area that many don't want to talk about. Please see my post above about supplements. But, the reality is our docs don't know what causes cancer or why it grows and multiples in some, while it doesn't in others. First, let me say that I still go to my oncologists for tests and consultations and am appreciative of that benefit. But, I also know that my docs education and training is all about "medical treatment" at the time he/she came out of medical school. And at that time, it was all about medical treatments (drugs and how they interact on the body) and there was nothing about healing or wellness. That is not our doctors fault, that is just where the US medical industry is at this time. There is not enough time to teach them nutrition too or our doctors would be in school longer then they already are and we need them on "the streets" now!!!!!

    I can't say much more then the others already have about sugar, other then you should pay attention to the foods that covert to blood glucose the quickest, much like a diabetic does. I think you have to define sugar first. Is it the white, refined crap we can buy, including the nasty high fructose corn syrup? In my opinion HFCS is one of the worst things to ever hit our mouths. It was "discovered" in the late 70s to replace sugar (duh, it was cheaper) in soda and now many other foods. I find no coincidence in the subsequent growth in cancer, type II diabetes, overweight, and the most recent rise in ADD in children. Do some research and you will find that one's body can't easily metabolize it due to genetic changes to the molecules of the sugar itself.

    I live by foods made by our lord and our soil. If I can't pronounce an ingredient in something I buy, I don't buy it. MSG is another nasty one out there and that is in way too many things too.

    I have chosen to put into my body only the things that I know have no toxins and can be easily absorbed by my God given body. I feed my spirit and my immune system with good stuff, not junk.

    Now, I do love my chocolate and have a sweet tooth, but I only do the natural stuff. I understand that since I have cancer, that I need to minimize the quick absorbtion of the sugars in my stomach. So I make sure I eat some protein (it doesn't have to be meat) so I dilute the impact into my bloodstream.

    It is all about the fluids within our bodies, blood and other things. As Emily says, an alkaline PH is cool. Cancer hates that!!!! And quite honestly, if cancer hates it, I am all for it.

    There are not many that are willing to fight the **** cells internally, like I have chosen to do. Most don't want to change their ways, but reality is, we all got cancer because the buggers felt comfortable within our bodies. My strategy is to make their lives miserable so they die off and leave my innards.

    My daily mantra is "GET OUT OF MY BODY, YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE"!!!!!!!

    If I haven't totally pissed you off, let me know if there is anything else I can do to help you.

    Lisa P.
  • lawleete
    lawleete Member Posts: 25
    Options
    thanks to all of you for your replies.the information sure makes sense to me.i've done pretty good keeping sugar out of my body,although i can't keep it all out.i'm with you guys.i want to make sure that i don't give the cancer cells in my body a chance to live.thanks again and god bless all cancer patients and their caregivers!
  • HisJoy
    HisJoy Member Posts: 113
    Options
    All due respect to your doctor, but NO ONE EVER EVER EVER EVER needs white, refined sugar EVER. Our bodies were simply not made to digest refined products like white sugar and white flour. Our insulin systems are overloaded whenever we consume this garbage and it has NO nutritional value. We need natural sugars like found in fresh fruits and veggies or whole grains. I am diabetic, plus colon cancer survivor, and eating refined sugars or flours are simply OUT of the question.