- Fructose is a naturally occurring sugar found in fruits, vegetables, and honey.
- Fructose can have negative health effects when ingested as part of high fructose corn syrup found in processed foods.
- Past studies have linked high fructose corn syrup consumption to a number of diseases, including cancer.
- Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have found that dietary fructose can promote tumor growth in animal models of melanoma, breast cancer, and cervical cancer..
Fructose is a naturally occurring sugar found in fruits, some vegetables, and honey. Fructose is not considered harmful to human health when consumed from natural sources such as apples and dates.
However, when fructose is consumed as part of high fructose corn syrup and through processed foods such as soda and packaged baked goods, it can pose health concerns.
“Humans are constantly exposed to fructose because it occurs naturally in some fruits and vegetables.” Dr. Gary Pattysaid Michael and Tana Powell, professors of chemistry, genetics, and medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. Today’s medical news.
“What’s changed over the last 40 to 50 years is that we’ve started using artificial sweeteners as artificial sweeteners in processed foods. As a result, a lot of people are exposed to much higher levels than before. “It is important to understand how this affects human health,” he added.
In this study, the researchers used an animal model of cancer tumors. During the study, the animals were fed a diet rich in fructose.
“The dependence of cancer cells on glucose has been well established for more than a century,” Patti says. “We use this all the time in the clinic. Patients are given a radioactive form of glucose that can be seen on PET scans. Cancer cells take up more glucose than most other healthy cells. This causes cancer cells to glow in the image.
“Glucose and fructose are made up of exactly the same atoms,” he continued. “The only difference between them is how the atoms are arranged. Given the voraciousness that cancer cells have for glucose, it’s compelling to imagine that cancer cells might utilize fructose in a similar way.” There is.”
Through analysis, Patti and his team discovered that the body’s liver converts fructose into a type of glucose.
When cancer cells divide, they require large amounts of lipids. The presence of large amounts of LPCs in the bloodstream promotes cancer cell replication and promotes tumor growth.
“When you eat excess amounts of food, your body converts it into fat,” Patti explained. “That’s how your body stores energy. High levels of dietary fructose trigger a similar process. Fructose is converted in the liver to precursors of fat called lipids. Those lipids feed tumors. can be given.”
“Cancer cells, unlike most other cells in the body, divide rapidly, which causes tumors to grow,” he continued. “For a cancer cell to divide in two, it has to create a new set of cell contents. To do that, it needs a lot of nutrients, which it ultimately gets from its diet. It is intuitive to imagine that modification of this could affect the process of tumor growth.
“Complicating matters is where the tumor is in the body, what cancer genes it carries, what drugs the patient is using, and what ingredients are in the diet before it reaches the tumor. There are a lot of variables to consider, including what that translates into,” Patti added. “While our understanding of these issues is at a very early stage, a growing number of studies are beginning to uncover important details. We hope our study will be part of that equation.” ”
MNT I talked to Anton Bilchik, MDsaid of the study, surgical oncologist, medical director, and director of the gastrointestinal-hepatobiliary program at Providence St. John’s Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, California.
“We’ve suspected for quite some time that certain nutritional supplements, such as sweeteners and processed foods, increase cancer risk, but we never understood the mechanism,” says the study. Bilchik, who was not involved in the matter, pointed out. .
“This is one of the few studies that provides a possible mechanism for fructose in corn syrup, processed foods, and sweeteners, which can cause a variety of cancers. , there may be some truth to the fact that we need to be very careful with the use of sugars found in processed foods rather than from fruits and vegetables.
– Anton Bilchik, MD
“Fructose is found in so many foods we eat, and we’re currently seeing a huge increase in young people being diagnosed with certain cancers, such as colorectal cancer, and it’s linked to processed foods. “There is,” he continued.
“And we know that processed foods are high in fructose, so this just provides a possible mechanism. To see if there’s any difference in cancer, we need to “I think we need to look at some clinical studies on people who take natural sugars and people who take natural sugars. So I think it would be most beneficial to translate this into the clinical world.” Bilchik said.
MNT I also talked to Monique Richard, MS, RDN, LDNRegistered Dietitian Nutritionist and owner of Nutrition-In-Sight talks about this research on how readers can reduce their fructose intake.
Richard says an easy way to avoid excess fructose, or the less beneficial types, is to eat more foods without packaging or labels, such as produce (though it’s not always possible or easy). said.
“Say ‘yes’ to fructose in fruit and ‘no, thank you’ to fructose. [in] Fruit roll-ups,” she advised.
“The fiber, vitamins, and minerals naturally found in carbohydrates such as fructose found in fruits and vegetables are less likely to be consumed in excess, but intake is still important. This fiber and nutrients are absorbed by our intestines. It is also beneficial for the internal flora, and effects of excessive fructose intake from ultra-processed foods have also been observed.”
– Monique Richard, MS, RDN, LDN
“Reading labels and understanding ingredients is another key to knowing what you’re consuming,” Richard continued. “Sugar has many names. Learn about the types and names of sugar and avoid replacing them with equivalent or similar products.”
“Food manufacturers understand how to market to make a profit. Even if the label says ‘no high fructose corn syrup,’ there are many products with the same or higher fructose content, just to name a few.” , glucose, or sucrose (sugar). You often see it in crackers, cookies, soft drinks, juices, etc.,” she said.
“Remember, you don’t have to get attached to these items and never include them, whether it’s Hello Holiday, Halloween, or your favorite treat. But how much, how often, and how much should you replace them with real food?” “Ensuring that we don’t have to eat is of paramount importance to our daily eating patterns and enjoyment of life,” advised Richard.
