Diet choices affect cancer risk
By
Dr. Regina Melink-
Some 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer every year, and it is a leading cause of costly long-term care among aging seniors. So, what if you could avoid cancer by changing your diet?
For good health, we may need to change our thinking about what we eat and drink. There have been many studies linking high-fat diets to certain types of cancer such as breast and colon, studies linking high consumption of soft drinks to pancreatic cancer, and a recent study on caloric intake and cancer.
The University of Alabama-Birmingham study linking calorie intake and cancer focused on the consumption of glucose-producing foods and their affect on the body’s long-term ability to maintain good health.
This study shows eating fewer foods that create high levels of glucose benefits the length of cell life and helps prevent diseases like cancer that have been linked to aging. This seems to support the study on soft drinks and pancreatic cancer.
Glucose is the body’s chief source of energy for cell metabolism. It comes mainly from eating carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, potatoes, fruits and vegetables, and high-sugar, high-calorie treats, including soda, cookies, and cake. Through digestion, these foods can be easily converted into energy, but intake should be reduced if they are high in sugar or calories and low in essential nutrients.
Maintaining normal glucose levels
Since glucose is processed to help regulate many functions in our bodies, it is extremely important to keep glucose levels in a normal range. When there is too much glucose in the body, it is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen. When the blood sugar level is low, glycogen can be converted back to glucose and released into the bloodstream.
Consumption of too much high-sugar, high-calorie food produces a glucose over-load, causing glycogen metabolism to be abnormal. The most common disease resulting from this over-load is diabetes. Also as the body ages and systems weaken, cancer becomes a greater risk.
Unfortunately, soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks containing carbonated water, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, and flavorings account for more than a third of the added sugar Americans swallow daily. Fruits and vegetables are less of a concern because we ordinarily don’t eat them as often as recommended. And while fruits and some vegetables also contain carbohydrates, they are loaded with the vitamins and minerals that our bodies need and don't have as big a glucose impact as junk food.
In fact, the study by Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC, researched the connection between soft drinks and pancreatic cancer and found that individuals who consumed two or more soft drinks per week had an 87 percent increased risk for pancreatic cancer, compared with those who did not. The study did not discern between diet and non-diet sodas. While both soft drinks and fruit juices are known to produce higher levels of glucose than other foods and drinks, the research did not find an association between consumption of juice and an increased risk for pancreatic cancer.
The research showed that despite any other factors, such as smoking, caloric intake, body weight and type 2 diabetes, the consumption of soft drinks might play an independent role in the development of pancreatic cancer. Research is still early, and numbers are small, and it is important to remember ongoing research is being conducted.
Our bodies need energy to regenerate tissue, heal from wounds, build immunity, strength, stamina, growth, movement and brain function. This energy is supplied by carbohydrates, fats and proteins in our diet. A quick energy fix from a high-sugar, caffeine-loaded soft drink may taste great and give an energy boost, but in the long run it is not going to contribute to overall good health. What is okay as an occasional treat can too often become a poor-choice habit.
I often remind my patients that when it comes to food, nature-made is always preferable to man-made. Drinking fewer soft drinks is an easy lifestyle change, and it might add years of health to your life.[[In-content Ad]]
For good health, we may need to change our thinking about what we eat and drink. There have been many studies linking high-fat diets to certain types of cancer such as breast and colon, studies linking high consumption of soft drinks to pancreatic cancer, and a recent study on caloric intake and cancer.
The University of Alabama-Birmingham study linking calorie intake and cancer focused on the consumption of glucose-producing foods and their affect on the body’s long-term ability to maintain good health.
This study shows eating fewer foods that create high levels of glucose benefits the length of cell life and helps prevent diseases like cancer that have been linked to aging. This seems to support the study on soft drinks and pancreatic cancer.
Glucose is the body’s chief source of energy for cell metabolism. It comes mainly from eating carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, potatoes, fruits and vegetables, and high-sugar, high-calorie treats, including soda, cookies, and cake. Through digestion, these foods can be easily converted into energy, but intake should be reduced if they are high in sugar or calories and low in essential nutrients.
Maintaining normal glucose levels
Since glucose is processed to help regulate many functions in our bodies, it is extremely important to keep glucose levels in a normal range. When there is too much glucose in the body, it is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen. When the blood sugar level is low, glycogen can be converted back to glucose and released into the bloodstream.
Consumption of too much high-sugar, high-calorie food produces a glucose over-load, causing glycogen metabolism to be abnormal. The most common disease resulting from this over-load is diabetes. Also as the body ages and systems weaken, cancer becomes a greater risk.
Unfortunately, soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks containing carbonated water, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, and flavorings account for more than a third of the added sugar Americans swallow daily. Fruits and vegetables are less of a concern because we ordinarily don’t eat them as often as recommended. And while fruits and some vegetables also contain carbohydrates, they are loaded with the vitamins and minerals that our bodies need and don't have as big a glucose impact as junk food.
In fact, the study by Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC, researched the connection between soft drinks and pancreatic cancer and found that individuals who consumed two or more soft drinks per week had an 87 percent increased risk for pancreatic cancer, compared with those who did not. The study did not discern between diet and non-diet sodas. While both soft drinks and fruit juices are known to produce higher levels of glucose than other foods and drinks, the research did not find an association between consumption of juice and an increased risk for pancreatic cancer.
The research showed that despite any other factors, such as smoking, caloric intake, body weight and type 2 diabetes, the consumption of soft drinks might play an independent role in the development of pancreatic cancer. Research is still early, and numbers are small, and it is important to remember ongoing research is being conducted.
Our bodies need energy to regenerate tissue, heal from wounds, build immunity, strength, stamina, growth, movement and brain function. This energy is supplied by carbohydrates, fats and proteins in our diet. A quick energy fix from a high-sugar, caffeine-loaded soft drink may taste great and give an energy boost, but in the long run it is not going to contribute to overall good health. What is okay as an occasional treat can too often become a poor-choice habit.
I often remind my patients that when it comes to food, nature-made is always preferable to man-made. Drinking fewer soft drinks is an easy lifestyle change, and it might add years of health to your life.[[In-content Ad]]