Researchers acknowledge that obesity increases the risk of cancer, and some studies even consider the existence of a causal relationship between this metabolic condition and cancer.
One important factor that can lead to obesity is the high intake of sugar through the frequent consumption of processed foods and sugary beverages. However, so far, there has been limited research looking at the effects of sugar on tumor growth independently of obesity.
Now, a team of specialists from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, NY has collaborated with colleagues from other research institutions to identify a clear link between sugary drinks and the accelerated growth of tumors in colorectal cancer.
In the new study, the results of which appeared yesterday in the journal Science, the research team studied the effects of high-fructose corn syrup in mouse models of colorectal cancer.
The team opted for a solution of 25-percent high-fructose corn syrup because this is the type of sweetener that manufacturers most commonly used as an ingredient in popular soft drinks.
"The current thought is that sugar is harmful to our health mainly because consuming too much can lead to obesity," explains co-author Jihye Yun, who is an assistant professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine. "We know that obesity increases the risk of many types of cancer, including colorectal cancer; however, we were uncertain whether a direct and causal link existed between sugar consumption and cancer."
The team conducted the research in mice with early-stage colorectal cancer in which they deleted a gene called "Apc." This gene encodes a protein with the same name, and its deletion simulated a mutation that characterizes fast-growing colon cancer in humans. "More than 90 percent of colorectal cancer patients have this type of Apc mutation," the researcher points out.
In the first stage of the study, the researchers allowed the mice to drink the sugary beverage freely. As a result, the rodents put on a lot of weight within just 1 month.
To determine whether or not the corn syrup would boost cancer growth independently of obesity, the team then decided to administer the sugary drink in a way that would allow the mice to ingest it without putting on weight. So, the researchers gave the mice the sugary drink orally through a specially designed syringe once a day for 2 months.
Following this 2-month intervention, the investigators observed that the rodents had not put on too much weight, but they had indeed developed larger, more advanced tumors than the rodents who had only received water.
Showing posts with label glucose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label glucose. Show all posts
Monday, April 8, 2019
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Wisdom Wednesday: Inositol
Inositol is a “vitamin like” substance that is found is nature and can be manufactured in laboratories. It was at one time considered a B vitamin. However, because the human body can make inositol from glucose, that vitamin status was revoked. Mice cannot make inositol and a deficiency in the diet causes mouse alopecia.
By comparison, vitamin D is also made in the human body just by exposure to sunlight. It is converted from cholesterol rather than glucose. It really is a hormone, not a vitamin. However, the nutrition board still considers vitamin D a vitamin. Even the world of vitamins is political.
Inositol is used to treat neuropathy, depression (especially bipolar disorder), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and multiple sclerosis (MS). MS patients are unable to synthesize inositol and the addition of inositol to the diet dramatically reduces MS symptoms.
The dosage of inositol can be quite high. For PCOS, 1200mg per day is a typical dose while 18 grams per day is often used in treating MS.
Inositol opens the blood brain barrier, allowing more nutrients to enter the nervous system. This often facilitates repair of neuropathy. Cocaine dealers often cut their coke with inositol. It enhances the effects and speed of the drug on the brain, while dramatically improving profits. Be aware if you purchase a large container of inositol at the health food store, the clerk is going to assume you are a drug dealer.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Lowering Blood Sugar Could Help Prevent Cognitive Declines
People with higher blood sugar levels are more likely to have memory problems, according to new research that suggests reducing levels of blood sugar could help to protect against cognitive disease.
October 24, 2013
Published in the journal Neurology, the research team investigated whether raised blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels have an impact on cognitive functions including memory performance and hippocampal volume and microstructure in a group of healthy, older, non-diabetic people without dementia.
Led by Dr. Agnes Floel, of Charite University Medicine in Berlin, Germany, the team found that people with lower blood sugar levels were more likely to have better scores on the memory tests.
“These results suggest that even for people within the normal range of blood sugar, lowering their blood sugar levels could be a promising strategy for preventing memory problems and cognitive decline as they age,” said Floel.
The study involved 141 people with an average age of 63 who did not have diabetes or pre-diabetes, which is also called impaired glucose tolerance. People who were overweight, drank more than three-and-a-half servings of alcohol per day, and those who had memory and thinking impairment were not included in the study.
The participants’ memory skills were tested, along with their blood glucose levels. They also had brain scans to measure the size of the hippocampus area of the brain, which plays an important role in memory.
For example, the participant’s ability to recall words was lower when blood sugar levels were higher. In addition, an increase in the hemoglobin A1c (a long term measure of glucose) of 7 points was also associated with diminished memory skills. People with higher blood sugar levels also had smaller volume in the hippocampus.
MY TAKE:
Insulin resistance is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome. The other factors, obesity, high blood pressure, high serum lipids, and low thyroid function go hand-in-hand with poor sugar control to create most if not all chronic illness in our nation. Dementia is no exception. I have long advocated running the hemoglobin A1c yearly as a preventative lab test. By the time the fasting glucose is consistently elevated, significant damage has been done as evidenced by this study.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Have your hemoglobin A1c checked yearly. The medical norm is below 5.7. Don’t wait until you are 6.5, diagnosed as diabetic, and placed on medication. Diet modification and exercise can quickly reduce the A1c back within medical norms. However, it is much more difficult and often impossible to reverse the damage to the kidneys, nervous system, eyes, and legs caused by glucose intolerance.
October 24, 2013
Published in the journal Neurology, the research team investigated whether raised blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels have an impact on cognitive functions including memory performance and hippocampal volume and microstructure in a group of healthy, older, non-diabetic people without dementia.
Led by Dr. Agnes Floel, of Charite University Medicine in Berlin, Germany, the team found that people with lower blood sugar levels were more likely to have better scores on the memory tests.
“These results suggest that even for people within the normal range of blood sugar, lowering their blood sugar levels could be a promising strategy for preventing memory problems and cognitive decline as they age,” said Floel.
The study involved 141 people with an average age of 63 who did not have diabetes or pre-diabetes, which is also called impaired glucose tolerance. People who were overweight, drank more than three-and-a-half servings of alcohol per day, and those who had memory and thinking impairment were not included in the study.
The participants’ memory skills were tested, along with their blood glucose levels. They also had brain scans to measure the size of the hippocampus area of the brain, which plays an important role in memory.
For example, the participant’s ability to recall words was lower when blood sugar levels were higher. In addition, an increase in the hemoglobin A1c (a long term measure of glucose) of 7 points was also associated with diminished memory skills. People with higher blood sugar levels also had smaller volume in the hippocampus.
MY TAKE:
Insulin resistance is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome. The other factors, obesity, high blood pressure, high serum lipids, and low thyroid function go hand-in-hand with poor sugar control to create most if not all chronic illness in our nation. Dementia is no exception. I have long advocated running the hemoglobin A1c yearly as a preventative lab test. By the time the fasting glucose is consistently elevated, significant damage has been done as evidenced by this study.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Have your hemoglobin A1c checked yearly. The medical norm is below 5.7. Don’t wait until you are 6.5, diagnosed as diabetic, and placed on medication. Diet modification and exercise can quickly reduce the A1c back within medical norms. However, it is much more difficult and often impossible to reverse the damage to the kidneys, nervous system, eyes, and legs caused by glucose intolerance.
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