I hate feeling good about bad news.
But I just can’t help it.
The news? That fructose is more or less the absolute favorite food of cancer cells.
It’s awful, I know — fructose is gobbled up in large amounts by Americans in the form of high fructose corn syrup. With so many people eating so much of it each year, this news is downright devastating.
But as terrible as this news is, it also gives me a glimmer of hope. Hope that the day when HFCS is just a bad memory isn’t too far off.
I know, I know. This isn’t the first time that I’ve expressed hope that HFCS could soon be a thing of the past. Serious weight gain, liver scarring…really, how much more do we need to find out about this stuff before it’s enough to get it out of the grocery store for good?
I mean, it’s getting pretty ridiculous. Here we have a substance that is CLEARLY harmful, yet food manufacturers remain content to plug up their ears and keep churning out HFCS-laden products.
When will they wake up and stop willfully poisoning food?
I don’t think using the word "poisoning" is taking it too far, either, especially in light of this new study. Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles found that pancreatic cancer cells use fructose to divide and multiply. It’s basically a superfood for cancer cells.
The American Beverage Association has long argued that sugar is sugar — and remember those ads cheerfully claiming that HFCS is fine in moderation, just like sugar? Well, sorry, but that line isn’t going to work anymore.
Cancer cells use fructose and glucose in two different ways. They can live off regular sugar (glucose), but fructose is what fuels their division.
The research team responsible for this work now hopes to develop a drug that can stop cancer cells from using fructose.
Is it just me, or does that sound totally insane? How about we just stick with getting rid of the stuff? It’s not like there’s some benefit we’d be missing out on if it disappears.
Ms. O’Brien has written for Nutrition & Healing, Healthier Talk and a variety of other natural and alternative health outlets. She believes in the power of natural medicine and her goal is to open people’s eyes to the benefits of alternative and integrative medicine.
Christine is passionate about helping people help themselves without having to turn to harsh drugs or invasive surgeries.
Latest posts by Christine O'Brien (see all)
- Could your floor be making your kids sick? - November 11, 2015
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