Can Sugar "Feed" Cancer?

You may have heard:

"Stop eating sugar and the cancer will starve."

This sounds logical—but the science is more complicated.

All cells in the body use glucose for energy, and cancer cells can use glucose too.

However, there is no evidence that simply stopping sugar will starve an existing cancer or make it disappear. 

Does this mean sugar does not matter?

Not at all.

Eating large amounts of added sugar can contribute to excess calorie intake, weight gain and obesity. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of several cancers.

So reducing excessive intake of:

Sugary drinks

Sweets

Desserts

Highly processed foods

can be part of a healthy lifestyle.

What if I have cancer?

You do not need to completely eliminate all carbohydrates.

Foods containing carbohydrates can provide valuable energy.

Your nutritional needs depend on your cancer, treatment, weight, appetite and other health conditions.

What about fruits?

Whole fruits contain naturally occurring sugars along with fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

Do not automatically assume that fruit is "feeding cancer."

What about honey, jaggery and dates?

Replacing white sugar with another concentrated sweetener does not make it a cancer treatment.

Honey, jaggery and dates still contribute sugars and calories.

Remember

Reducing excessive added sugar is sensible.

But:

"Sugar-free" does not mean "cancer-free."

Do not undertake a severely restrictive diet during cancer treatment without discussing it with your healthcare team.

Reliable sources: National Cancer Institute (NCI), World Health Organization (WHO), relevant national cancer-care guidelines, and appropriate peer-reviewed evidence.