Several years ago, we saw tremendous growth in the consumption of fat-free and low-fat products. Believing we now had "healthier" versions of everything from salad dressings to our favorite desserts, these products began flying off the shelves, and formerly "forbidden" foods for those watching their diets became acceptable in their reduced fat versions. While perhaps reducing their fat intake, most consumers were unknowingly increasing their sugar intake, as refined sugar was the ingredient most often used in place of fat. The increased consumption of refined sugar can have serious health consequences, including a greater vulnerability to cancer, and possibly, even a worse outcome. Let me explain what happens when too much refined sugar and other food products are consumed.

If you ingest whole foods, insulin will be secreted slowly and the body will manage this well. Insulin is needed to carry glucose into your tissues and is essential for providing much needed fuel. However, ingest a candy bar, your favorite brand of cookies or 12 ounces of soda pop - what I like to refer to as carbonated belly wash - and the cells in your pancreas will respond with a surge of insulin.

In recent years, researchers found that women with early stage breast cancer who had the highest insulin levels were twice as likely to have their tumor metastasize, and three times as likely to die of breast cancer as women with the lowest insulin levels. For this reason, I believe any patient combating breast cancer or trying to avoid a recurrence would be wise to have their doctor routinely monitor their insulin and blood sugar levels, as well as their insulin growth factor (IGF-1). Choosing a whole foods diet and staying fit can reduce the deleterious effect that elevated sugar and insulin levels can have on both the risk of recurrence and risk of death. In addition, following a nutritional, fitness and therapeutic supplement program can help achieve or maintain improved levels.

Even though all therapeutic interventions should be individualized to match the needs of each patient, I'm convinced that certain dietary recommendations are fundamental to achieving improved health.

These include:
  • Eat a diet lower in fat, and make it a better quality fat. Ideally, fat should represent no more than 18 percent of your daily caloric intake. "Good" fats include monounsaturated and Omega 3 fats.
  • Examples of monounsaturated fats include olive oil, almond oil and walnut oil. Omega 3 fats include flax seed, canola, and, of course fats contained in cold water fish.
  • Eat abundant cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, bok choy, kale and brussel sprouts - which contain plant phytochemicals that result in lower blood levels of estrogen by increasing the estrogen detoxification and dumping capacity of the liver.
  • Eat a diet high in fiber, with plant-based sources of protein. Consuming more fiber in the form of whole grains, vegetables, fruit, legumes, and beans can reduce harmful circulating estrogen levels.
In addition, while research has shown that mind-spirit interventions improve quality of life for cancer survivors, there is also data that suggests they boost immune function, increase cancer-fighting melatonin levels, and can play a role in helping prevent recurrence.

Comment: Additional Information about sugar:

Our bodies are simply not made to process the high quantities of the types of sugar that we consume nowadays.

Sugar is in no way nutritional and it actually depletes the body of its vitamin and mineral resources. High sugar consumption is tied to mental disorders, lower IQ, anxiety, aggressive behavior, hyperactivity, depression, eating disorders, fatigue, learning difficulties, and premenstrual syndrome among others.

One of the most important factors in brain aging and inflammation is sugar. Insulin triggered by sugar triggers oxidative stress which leads to mitochondrial damage, which in turn contributes to insulin resistance. Insulin also triggers the inflammatory cascade, including cytokines like TNF alfa and interleukins which spreads the damage into the brain and body in general.

Sugar produces high levels of insulin which is the main cause of our chronic disease epidemic and an important factor in mood disorders, depression and dementia. Our insulin response is designed to handle vastly lower levels of sugar than what we consume today. For example, the body can process fruit sugar, but not high fructose corn syrup, which is a potent form of sugar that is sweeter than regular sugar, increases appetite, promotes obesity more than regular sugar, is more addictive than cocaine, and leads to diabetes and an inflammation of the brain.

The sugar and processed food you eat triggers stress hormones - cortisol and adrenaline - which creates an imbalance in your brain.

Sugar reacts with proteins in our bodies and brains forming AGEs (advanced glycation end products) which not only damage most cells and tissues in our bodies, but also lead to dementia.

Sugar and processed foods also feed the candida in the gut, making you a sugar addict and perpetuating the inflammatory state of our bodies, and thus leading to all kinds of health problems.

Another reason why people get addicted to refined carbohydrates or sugars is to boost serotonin levels - a calming brain chemical - which then rises temporarily, only to crash after a short while, causing you to crave more starchy or sugary foods. Sugar creates an imbalance, depleting your serotonin levels after a short spike, leading to mood swings and depression.

For more information about the health risks associated with sugar consumption read the following articles on SOTT:

Does Sugar Feed Cancer
Never mind the sugar! Are our children being poisoned by their sweets?
Sugar Addiction is Real
Study Reveals Why Cancer Cells Like Sugar
High-Fat, High-Sugar Foods Alter Brain Receptors
Corn Syrup's Mercury Surprise
Is High Fructose Corn Syrup Turning Us Into Mad Hatters?
Peddling Poison - Bitter battle in sweeteners


About the author

Keith I. Block, MD, is an internationally recognized expert in integrative oncology. Dr. Block combines cutting-edge conventional treatment with individualized and scientifically-based complementary and nutraceutical therapies. In 1980, he co-founded the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment in Evanston, Illinois, the first such facility in North America, and serves as its Medical and Scientific Director.