Cancer cells slurp up fructose, US study finds | Reuters
Cancer cells slurp up fructose, US study finds
Mon Aug 2, 2010 5:20pm EDT
* Study shows fructose used differently from glucose
* Findings challenge common wisdom about sugars
WASHINGTON Aug 2 (Reuters) - Pancreatic tumor cells use fructose to divide and proliferate, U.S. researchers said on Monday in a study that challenges the common wisdom that all sugars are the same.
Tumor cells fed both glucose and fructose used the two sugars in two different ways, the team at the University of California Los Angeles found.
They said their finding, published in the journal Cancer Research, may help explain other studies that have linked fructose intake with pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancer types.
"These findings show that cancer cells can readily metabolize fructose to increase proliferation," Dr. Anthony Heaney of UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center and colleagues wrote.
"They have major significance for cancer patients given dietary refined fructose consumption, and indicate that efforts to reduce refined fructose intake or inhibit fructose-mediated actions may disrupt cancer growth."
Americans take in large amounts of fructose, mainly in high fructose corn syrup, a mix of fructose and glucose that is used in soft drinks, bread and a range of other foods.
Politicians, regulators, health experts and the industry have debated whether high fructose corn syrup and other ingredients have been helping make Americans fatter and less healthy.
Okay, so here comes the "high fructose corn syrup is bad, let's tax/regulate it" brigade. The article continues with politicians and their anti-HFCS crusade.
Sugar is HALF FRUCTOSE
High fructose corn syrup is HALF FRUCTOSE
Fruits and vegetables are ALL FRUCTOSE
Breads and starches are glucose, which is also not good.
So no, fructose is not good, but the idea that therefore the government should tax it is stupid. Why? Well, the only reason we use HFCS is because the government taxes sugar, which is mostly made outside the US, to ENCOURAGE HFCS, which mostly comes from US corn. They also subsidize corn, big time. They also have tricked us into thinking a high carb diet is good for use, so they can sell more US corn, wheat, and soy, all of which are bad for us. And they have demonized animal products and ignored the science which continually proves them wrong. Finally, they say this tax on HFCS will go to help treat illnesses caused by HFCS. NO IT WILL NOT. When the government sued the tobacco companies, how much of that went to sick people? NONE. The government spent every penny of it. Too bad they didn't keep some, for economic crises like the one we're in now.
At the very least, let this article be a lesson on how poorly the gov. does science. In Germany low carb diets are used to treat cancer, but in the US we're told this is ridiculous. Who's laughing now? Diabetics are told by the gov. to eat plenty of fructose, which doesn't raise blood sugar. Oh well, guess cancer is okay now? Is Michelle Obama going to stop encouraging us to eat tons of fruit/fructose every day? Probably not. Doesn't really matter, since the government's new "food safety modernization act" is going to destroy all the small farms and farmer's markets.
Cancer cells slurp up fructose, US study finds
Mon Aug 2, 2010 5:20pm EDT
* Study shows fructose used differently from glucose
* Findings challenge common wisdom about sugars
WASHINGTON Aug 2 (Reuters) - Pancreatic tumor cells use fructose to divide and proliferate, U.S. researchers said on Monday in a study that challenges the common wisdom that all sugars are the same.
Tumor cells fed both glucose and fructose used the two sugars in two different ways, the team at the University of California Los Angeles found.
They said their finding, published in the journal Cancer Research, may help explain other studies that have linked fructose intake with pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancer types.
"These findings show that cancer cells can readily metabolize fructose to increase proliferation," Dr. Anthony Heaney of UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center and colleagues wrote.
"They have major significance for cancer patients given dietary refined fructose consumption, and indicate that efforts to reduce refined fructose intake or inhibit fructose-mediated actions may disrupt cancer growth."
Americans take in large amounts of fructose, mainly in high fructose corn syrup, a mix of fructose and glucose that is used in soft drinks, bread and a range of other foods.
Politicians, regulators, health experts and the industry have debated whether high fructose corn syrup and other ingredients have been helping make Americans fatter and less healthy.
Okay, so here comes the "high fructose corn syrup is bad, let's tax/regulate it" brigade. The article continues with politicians and their anti-HFCS crusade.
Sugar is HALF FRUCTOSE
High fructose corn syrup is HALF FRUCTOSE
Fruits and vegetables are ALL FRUCTOSE
Breads and starches are glucose, which is also not good.
So no, fructose is not good, but the idea that therefore the government should tax it is stupid. Why? Well, the only reason we use HFCS is because the government taxes sugar, which is mostly made outside the US, to ENCOURAGE HFCS, which mostly comes from US corn. They also subsidize corn, big time. They also have tricked us into thinking a high carb diet is good for use, so they can sell more US corn, wheat, and soy, all of which are bad for us. And they have demonized animal products and ignored the science which continually proves them wrong. Finally, they say this tax on HFCS will go to help treat illnesses caused by HFCS. NO IT WILL NOT. When the government sued the tobacco companies, how much of that went to sick people? NONE. The government spent every penny of it. Too bad they didn't keep some, for economic crises like the one we're in now.
At the very least, let this article be a lesson on how poorly the gov. does science. In Germany low carb diets are used to treat cancer, but in the US we're told this is ridiculous. Who's laughing now? Diabetics are told by the gov. to eat plenty of fructose, which doesn't raise blood sugar. Oh well, guess cancer is okay now? Is Michelle Obama going to stop encouraging us to eat tons of fruit/fructose every day? Probably not. Doesn't really matter, since the government's new "food safety modernization act" is going to destroy all the small farms and farmer's markets.
Comments