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Cancer Feeds Off Of Sugar

by In Food Facts

By: Jeff Dionot

Cancer comes in many forms: breast cancer is on the mind for many women; impaired bodily functions in men could point to prostate cancer; and long-term exposure to airborne irritants could pave the way to lung cancer, considered by many to be the worst type of cancer. While there still is no end-all be-all cure, there are multiple preventable measures that could stunt or even prevent cancer entirely. This post will take a look at how limiting sugar in your system can also limit cancer.

Every cell in a person’s body uses blood sugar (or glucose) for energy. A person’s glucose levels depend on their diet which will have an effect as to how their body will develop. A balanced amount leads to a healthier lifestyle; a high amount could lead to a number of physical issues such as fatigue, headaches, and sores; out of control amounts may lead to hyperglycemia or even type 2 diabetes (which 10% of Americans suffer from). Glucose is the basic form of all carbs, so other sugars such as fructose (sugars commonly found in fruit) and lactose (sugars commonly found in milk) end up being converted into glucose. If for some reason there’s no carbohydrates in our diet, cells can turn fat and protein into glucose as a last resort, because they need glucose to survive. Glucose, in short, is the main fuel for our body.

According to WebMD, cancer cells use up 20 times the amount of glucose than normal cells. Cancer cells already multiply around the body faster than expected, but add more sugar than necessary to the situation and the cells proliferate like wildfire. Tumors that once grew slowly now enlarge at an expedited rate when confronted with higher levels of glucose. Cancer researcher Lewis Cantley, PhD, writes that certain cancers may begin with higher levels of insulin, the hormone that controls glucose in the body. When more sugar enters a person’s system, their pancreas secretes more insulin to confront it and break it down. Higher blood insulin may also lead to higher risk of cancer (prostate cancer incidence is 2.55-fold greater in men with the highest blood insulin levels).

That’s not to say that all carbohydrates should be shunned for fear of getting a negative prognosis from your doctor. A plate of pasta or bowl of rice won’t send you straight to death’s door, but unnecessary sugars should be avoided whenever possible. Of Healthline’s “Top Six Cancer Causing Foods”, processed sugars (sugar-sweetened beverages, candies, sugary cereals) are included. Too much added and processed sugars increase the proclivity for type 2 diabetes and obesity whose inflammatory and stressful conditions threaten to develop multiple forms of cancer.

As in most cases, the solution lies in the decisions of the consumer. Eschew sugary foods for healthier alternatives, like whole grains, and put that catabolized energy to use in the form of exercise instead of living a sedentary lifestyle. A person is what they eat but also how they treat their body; if one disparages their physical care, their body will give an appropriate, harmful, and even deadly response. 

Sources:

6 Foods That May Increase Your Risk of Cancer

Cancer and Sugar: Is There a Link?

Deadliest, Most Common Cancers Get the Least Attention in U.S.

The Insulin/Cancer Connection

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How Stress Affects Your Eating Habits

by In Featured Tagged , , ,

By: Heidi Wagenbach

“There’s a definite connection between stress and our appetite– but that connection isn’t the same for everyone… Some people overeat when they feel stressed, and other people lose track of their appetite… Those who stop eating are so focused on their stress that they don’t hear their hunger cues… Those who overeat are attempting to distract themselves with food.”

– Susan Albers, psychologist 

Hi, Captain Obvious here: we’ve all been stressed before. Whether that be freaking out over a job interview or going on a date, the way your brain and body reacts affects how you process stress. Even if the stressor is positive, you could feel anxiety, depression, and possibly a ravenous hunger. Or, you may shut down entirely (like I do), not wanting to even think about eating when there is so much to do and so little time to do it in. 

Just these past two months, for example, I moved houses. Combine that with taking the Practical and Pastry Series in the evening, renovating the rental, working 30 hours a week, shopping for groceries and furniture, getting my first COVID vaccination (I could go on)…  I was a roller coaster of emotions, eating hardly anything certain days, then craving copious amounts of sweets another. 

Do I think all of those were correlated? Absolutely.

So why do some people eat more and others not at all?

Cortisol: The Stress Hormone

Stress releases cortisol, which in turn makes you crave sugary, salty, and/or fatty foods because the brain thinks it needs the fuel to combat whatever threat is causing stress. Glucose (the primary source of energy) is then subjected to the bloodstream, which triggers the flight or fight response (the old, subliminal survival mode we never got rid of in our years of evolution as a species). Once the threat is gone, our blood sugar drops, and our body works overtime to replenish the energy quickly. Cravings hit, and when we give into indulging chocolate or cake, our bodies are more likely to store the sugar, form abdominal fat, and gain weight. 

Stress slows your metabolism as well. A study conducted showed that participants who reported a stressor within 24 hours burned about 105 calories less than non-stressed people after eating a high-fat meal. This means that there is the potential of gaining 11 pounds over the course of a year if continuing down this stressful path.  

Unhealthy Habits When Stressed

Emotional eating

(Or craving unhealthy food when you’re experiencing a negative emotion like sadness; eating more than you normally would/continuously snacking)

Eating “accessible” or fast food

Exercising/sleeping less

Skipping meals

stress

Overeating

Many adults who overeat say there are undesirable consequences, such as feeling sluggish, lazy, and bad about their bodies.

Statistics:

  • 38% of adults say they have overeaten/eaten unhealthy foods in the past month because of stress, half of them report engaging in these behaviors weekly or more
  • 33% of adults who report overeating or eating unhealthy foods say it’s to distract them from stress
  • 27% of adults say they eat to manage stress; 34% say this is a habit

Undereating

People who chronically undereat have equally damaging symptoms as well, including hair loss, fatigue, constipation, skin problems, and getting ill more often. This could also lead to infertility and/or malnutrition. 

Statistics:

  • In the past month, 30% of adults report skipping a meal because of stress; 41% of adults report skipping a meal weekly or more
  • 67% who report skipping meals attribute it to a lack of appetite; 26% say it’s because they didn’t have time to eat
  • 22% report becoming irritable

How To Help

While stress is a natural part of life and I don’t think there will ever be a world where everyone is carefree and without worry, there are some steps to take that will help you avoid eating poorly or not at all when you feel overwhelmed. 

  1. Be mindful of what triggers stress eating and be ready to fight the urge
  2. Have healthy snacks/eat healthier comfort foods (i.e. popcorn), which will help regulate blood sugar
  3. Exercise regularly
  4. Reduce anxiety where you can (i.e. at work, have a stress ball in your desk drawer or take a few deep breaths)
  5. Drink enough water
  6. Start a food journal (friendly reminder to not limit yourself entirely from the pleasures of life; most diets cause more stress for people when being so regimented)

Conclusion

For a lot of people, the relationship with food is a struggle; it’s a never-ending battle. To either binge or limit food when you’re not feeling hungry, preoccupied with the stress in your life, is not a solution. You shouldn’t feel guilty about nibbling on a rich dessert once in a while if you take care of your body. But if you find that you’re continuously repeating the same unhealthy habits (eating too much, or not enough) over and over again, then something needs to change. I’m feeling a lot better about where I am as opposed to where I was. Sometimes, realizing what you need to do to help yourself in the long run is tough, intimidating, terrifying even. Ultimately, you have to see the bigger picture and find what makes you happy, and for many, that begins with changing the way you eat. 

Sources:

How Stress Can Make You Eat More — Or Not At All

Stress and Eating: American Psychological Association

How Stress Can Cause Weight Gain: The Role of Cortisol in the Body 

What Are the Signs of Not Eating Enough?

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Chewing Gum: Yea Or Nay?

by In Food Facts Tagged , ,

By: Heidi Wagenbach

I like gum. I have a piece or two every other day when I need my breath to be mintier after a garlicky meal or want to make sure I don’t have food stuck between my teeth. For a while, when I would go to the dentist, they would tell me to stop chewing gum because my jaw was popping. Thus, I limited the amount I ate, and have had no problems since then. 

But it got me thinking: is chewing gum something that professionals (definitely not teachers) encourage or discourage? 

A Squished History

Mayan archaeologist Jennifer P. Mathews determined that chewing gum has been around on this continent for hundreds of years, called “chicle,” the resin extracted from the sapodilla tree in Southern Mexico and Central America. Think about it as the tree’s natural band-aid, meant to form a protective layer over cuts in the bark. The Mayans discovered they could collect it and create a chewable substance by cooking and drying it into what they called “cha.” This goodie “quenched thirst and staved off hunger,” as well as freshened breath. 

However, they viewed public gum chewing as unacceptable, especially for adult men and married women. A quote from Spanish missionary Bernardino de Sahagun in the 16th century states: 

“All the women who unmarried chew chicle in public. One’s wife also chews chicle, but not in public… with it they dispel the bad odor of their mouths, or the bad smell of their teeth. Thus they chew chicle in order not to be detested.”

From the Greeks to Wrigley

The Mayans weren’t the first to gain inspiration from nature’s substances. Pliny the Elder, a Roman author, wrote about a plant-based gum called “mastich” by the Greeks and evidence suggests that chewing birch bark tar was popular with young Scandinavian people thousands of years ago. Northern Native American cultures chewed Spruce tree resin and European settlers picked up on the habit and capitalized on it. 

This is where American inventor Thomas Adams Sr. comes in. He got a supply of chicle through a connection with the exiled Mexican president and came up with the idea of boiling then hand-rolling it into pieces of chewing gum. Young soap salesman William Wrigley worked for a company who gave free gum to vendors who placed large soap orders. Yet he soon discovered that gum was more popular so he switched careers. When he passed away in 1932, he was one of the richest men in the nation; the average American chewed 105 sticks per year in the 1920s. 

Ultimately, human appetite outmatched nature’s resources. Unsustainable harvesting methods killed ¼ of Mexico’s sapodilla trees by the mid-1930s. Companies then switched to cheaper synthetic bases and no longer imported ingredients from Mexico.

Alright, I bored you enough with the history of chewing gum. Now onto the important issue of this article: is chewing gum good for you?

Yes!

The benefits of chewing gum are well… beneficial. Making a habit of indulging on gum occasionally is shown to slim your waistline because your cravings are curbed. (I used to eat a piece of Extra’s Mint Chocolate Chip flavored gum when I wanted something sweet, but low calorie, and sure enough, I would avoid intaking dessert later). Studies have shown that people who chew gum ate 36 calories less… and while that doesn’t sound like a whole lot, it adds up.

Gum can keep your teeth healthy (if it’s sugarless; sugary gum causes plaque and tooth decay). It increases the flow of saliva, which contains calcium and phosphate, while removing food gunk from your previous meal. Gum can also improve your short-term memory, since it’s speculated to increase blood flow to the brain (I would always chew a piece while tackling a final test during high school and college!). It also fights drowsiness, reduces heartburn, as well as lowers anxiety/depression/fatigue. Gum can also help prevent ear infections in children, as well as alleviate ear barotrauma (aka that clogged-up, painful feeling) when pressure changes during airplane travel. Specific chewing gum helps people quit smoking, and can assist in gut recovery after a surgery. 

… And No?

Some of the ingredients in gum are speculated to be unhealthy in large amounts (much like food coloring, but that’s another article). 

Butylated Hydroxytoluene (try saying that five times fast…) is an antioxidant and preservative that prevents fats from going rancid. Animal studies show that high doses can cause cancer, but the results are mixed. Low doses at 0.11 per pound of body weight is considered safe by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

Titanium dioxide is a food additive that whitens products and gives them a smooth texture. Rats have developed nervous system and organ damage during extensive tests; scientists have yet to determine what a safe limit is for humans.

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that can pose issues like headaches to cancer to obesity, but the evidence is weak. Sugar alcohols have a laxative effect, and chewing a lot of gum could result in digestive stress or diarrhea. An excess amount of gum could also cause jaw problems, resulting in pain when you chew. Health experts advise chewing gum that’s made with xylitol, a natural sugar found in fruits and vegetables.

In The End

Chewing gum is like anything we eat nowadays: good in moderation. If you avoid unnecessary ingredients that may have negative health effects on your health later on, then I see no reason to not chew a piece of gum now and again. Especially if you’re at work and want to avoid bad breath for the rest of the day or if you want to have extra focus while taking a test, gum has countless good stimuli for your body while making your teeth cleaner. I mean if it’s been around for centuries, then there must be a certain charm about it, right?

Sources: 

A Brief History of Chewing Gum

Chewing Gum: Good or Bad?

Surprising Benefits of Chewing Gum

The Reason Chewing Gum Helps Your Ears While Flying – And Why Some Experts Advise Against It

 

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