Sugars are an acidic waste product of diet and metabolism. Sustained high levels of acidic sugars, as is found in diabetics, damages our blood and body cells and increases our risk for a cancerous condition. The dose makes the poison as Paracelsus said.
Scientists led by Dr. Custodia Garcia-Jimenez at the University Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid have also uncovered a key mechanism that links obesity and diabetes with cancer: high sugar levels, which increase activity of a gene widely implicated in cancer progression.
Dr Garcia Jimenez’s laboratory was studying how cells in the intestine respond to sugars and signal to the pancreas to release insulin (a chelator of acids), the key hormone that controls blood sugar levels. Sugars in the intestine trigger cells to release a hormone called GIP that enhances insulin release by the pancreas to buffer excess acids like sugar.
In a study published in Molecular Cell, Dr Garcia Jimenez’s team showed that the ability of the intestinal cells to secrete GIP is controlled by a protein called β -catenin, and that the activity of β -catenin is strictly dependent on sugar levels.
Increased activity of β -catenin is known to be a major factor in the development of many cancerous conditions and can make normal cells immortal, a key step in early stages of a cancerous progression. The study demonstrates that high sugar levels induce nuclear accumulation of β -catenin and leads to cell proliferation. The changes induced on β -catenin, the molecules involved and the diversity of cancerous cells susceptible to these changes are identified.
Dr. Custodia García said “We were surprised to realize that changes in our metabolism caused by dietary sugar impact on our cancer risk. We are now investigating what other dietary components may influence our cancer risk. Changing diet is one of easiest prevention strategies that can potentially save a lot of suffering and money”.
Colin Goding, Professor of Oncology at the University of Oxford, UK said ‘Previously we were unsure about how increased blood sugar found in diabetes and obesity could increase cancer risk. This study identifies a key molecular mechanism through which high blood glucose would predispose to cancer. It opens the way for potential novel therapies aimed at reducing cancer risk in the obese and diabetic populations.’
Estimations published by the World Health Organisation (WHO): Obesity predisposes to diabetes and its prevalence is doubling every 20 years worldwide. More than 1 in 10 adults worldwide (12%) are obese (BMI>30). 1 in 6 children in UK and Spain suffer obesity.
Diabetes caused 4.6 million deaths in 2011, more than 2 deaths per hour in Spain, more in USA. Worldwide, 1 in 10 adults (10%) suffered from diabetes in 2010 and more than one-third of individuals with diabetes are unaware they suffer from the disease. The national cost of diabetes or cancer is in the order of billions of pounds or euros in Spain or England.
More than half (63%) of premature deaths worldwide are due to non communicable diseases (NCD) of which cancer and diabetes are among the 4 causes more frequent. At least 1 in 3 of the main cancers (27–39%) can be prevented by improving to an alkaline diet, drinking alkaline water, ingesting healthy oils, physical activity, adequate rest, lowered stress and body composition. Bottom line – Sugar causes inflammation, obesity, diabetes and NOW Cancer. The key to preventing inflammation, obestiy, diabetes and cancer is to maintain the alkaline design of the body with an alkaline lifestyle and diet as outline in our book The pH Miracle – now available on audio at http://www.audible.com or http://www.amazon.com
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