Cancer Loves Sugar

Last week we discussed how diabetes is a major cause of Alzheimer’s disease.  In order to prevent Type 2 Diabetes, it is important to make dietary changes like cutting out sugar, reducing high-carbohydrate or starchy foods, and committing to an exercise routine to combat stress in your life.

Making these lifestyle changes can also help prevent cancer.

Sugar is sometimes called “cancer’s favorite food”.  Cancer cells uptake sugar at 10-12 times the rate that regular cells do.  In fact, PET scans use glucose to detect cancer cells!

Sugar also creates an acidic environment in the body, which cancer thrives in.  You want to make your body as cancer-unfriendly as possible.  This is why you must balance your diet with alkaline foods like leafy greens, broccoli, cucumber, and avocados.  An easy way to alkalize your diet is to squeeze some fresh lemon juice into your drinking water, since it actually becomes alkaline in the body.

Cutting out sugar is also highly beneficial for your immune system.  Consuming 10 teaspoons of sugar (one can of cola) can cause about a 50% reduction in phagocytosis, an essential immune response.  It takes about five hours after eating sugar for your immune system to function properly again.  In order to prevent cancer, you need to have a strong immune system.

It is important to note that you cannot simply reduce your sugar intake.  You have to eliminate it completely.  This is difficult since sugar has been proven to be more addictive than cocaine.  It will take some planning and willpower to get off sugar.

Consider when you’re eating sugar the most: do you habitually snack on sugary food at work?  Do you have sweets at night before bed?  Plan and prepare healthy snacks so they are readily available when sugar cravings set in.  Foods with healthy fats such as almond butter or pumpkin seeds can help stave off hunger.  You can also eat a smaller portion of the food you ate for lunch or dinner for your snack instead.

The key to fighting cancer is to prevent it, not to wait until it needs treatment with radiation or surgery.  Completely eliminating sugar might seem extreme, but it will have equally extreme benefits for your health.

Next week we will look at how reducing stress can help prevent cancer.  Read along to learn how staying stress-free this holiday season can seriously benefit your body and mind!

If you are interested in Dr. Kaplan’s services, take advantage of our New Patient Special advertised in this paper. If you want to learn more about our Meal Plans and Elimination Diet, please contact us at 201-261-2150 or visit our website www.kaplandc.com