Several latest researches came to the similar conclusion that that
hyperglycemia (an unusually high level of sugar in the blood) and
hyperinsulinemia (excess levels of insulin circulating in the blood than expected
relative to the level of glucose) may be implicated in the development of
pancreatic cancer. Frequent consumption of sugar and high-sugar foods may
increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by inducing frequent postprandial
hyperglycemia (an exaggerated rise in blood sugar following a meal), increasing
insulin demand, and decreasing insulin sensitivity.
Karolinska Institutet Study
Pancreatic
cancer is among the most deadly cancers: the overall 5-y survival rate is only
≈5%. Because of this poor prognosis, identification of modifiable risk factors
for pancreatic cancer is extremely important. Evidence is mounting that
abnormal glucose metabolism and hyperinsulinemia may be involved in the
development of pancreatic cancer. It was confirmed that the high consumption of
sweetened food and drink increases the risk of developing pancreatic cancer,
according to a 2006 study from Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. A
heavy intake of fizzy drinks, creamed fruit and sugar in coffee are three
common ways of increasing the risk.
Pancreatic cancer is a very serious form of cancer that is possibly caused when the pancreas produces heightened levels of insulin as a consequence of upset glucosemetabolism. A well-known way of increasing insulin production is to eat a lot of sugar. Scientists have now shown that the consumption of sweetened food and drink affects a person's chances of developing pancreatic cancer.
The study began in 1997 when scientists ran a dietary survey of almost 80,000 healthy women and men. This group was subsequently monitored until June 2005. According to the cancer registry, 131 people from this group had developed cancer of the pancreas.
The researchers have now been able to show that the risk of developing pancreatic cancer is related to the amount of sugar in the diet. Most at risk were those who drank high quantities of fizzy or syrup based (squash) drinks. The group who said that they drank such products twice a day or more ran a 90% higher risk than those who never drank them. People who added sugar to food or drinks (e.g. coffee) at least five times a day ran a 70% greater risk than those who did not. People who ate creamed fruit (a product resembling runny jam) at least once a day also ran a higher risk. They developed the disease 50% more often than those who never ate creamed fruit.
Mario
Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research Study
In a 2010 study of nearly 1,000
Italian adults with and without pancreatic cancer, researchers found that those
whose diets were high in so-called "glycemic index" showed a greater
risk of the cancer than participants whose diets were relatively low-glycemic
index.
Glycemic index refers to how rapidly
a food causes blood sugar to rise. High-glycemic index foods, like white bread
and potatoes, tend to spur a quick elevation in blood sugar, while low-glycemic
index foods, such as lentils, soybeans, yogurt and many high-fiber grains,
create a more gradual increase in blood sugar.
In the new study, researchers found
no relationship between the total carbohydrates in participants' diets and
their risk of pancreatic cancer. And when they focused on fruit intake, higher
consumption was related to a lower risk of the disease.
In contrast, there was a
relationship between increased pancreatic cancer risk and higher intakes of
sugar, candy, honey and jam. This suggests that sugary, processed carbohydrates
-- rather than carbs like fiber-rich grains, fruits and vegetables -- may be
particularly linked to pancreatic cancer.
Brigham
and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School Study
The study based the research on the
two facts: high sugar intake may be considered as risk factor for diabetes, and
established causal link between diabetes and pancreatic cancer. This study has
been mostly focused on the danger of consuming sugar-sweetened soft drinks.
It is known already that sugar-sweetened
soft drinks may increase the risk of diabetes due to their large amounts of
high-fructose corn syrup, rapidly raising blood glucose. Soft drinks are the
leading source of added sugar in the U.S. diet, thereby contributing to a high
glycemic index of the diet and promoting the development of obesity and
diabetes. In a recent analysis of participants in the Nurses' Health Study
(NHS), higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with both
greater weight gain and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, independent of
known risk factors. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks might also increase risk of
type 2 diabetes due to their readily absorbable carbohydrates. Due to the large
amounts of high-fructose corn syrup, which has similar effects on blood glucose
as sucrose, consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks might therefore
contribute to a high glycemic load of the overall diet, a risk factor for
pancreatic cancer. In addition, cola-type soft drinks contain caramel coloring,
which is rich in advanced glycation end-products that might increase insulin
resistance.
Interesting enough, but this study
did not reach its goal - a significant increase in the risk of pancreatic
cancer among participants who reported higher consumption of sugar-sweetened
soft drinks weekly when compared with those who largely abstained has not been observed.
Despite the effects on blood glucose and sucrose that any sugar-sweetened soft
drinks have, and the potential of cola-type soft drinks to increase insulin
resistance, we did not observe consistent differences between cola and other
soft drinks for both sugar-sweetened and diet soft drinks, and diet cola was
generally not associated with pancreatic cancer risk.
School
of Public Health at the University of Minnesota
While the previous study has not
found substantial causal relationship between drinking sugar-added soft drinks,
another study on Singaporeans confirmed that the regular consumers of sugary
soft drinks are at higher risk for pancreatic cancer than fruit juice drinkers
or the general population.
It was shown that Chinese men and
women living in Singapore who drank two or more soft drinks per week were 87
percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer after the researchers adjusted
for factors such as smoking. "In this large prospective cohort of Chinese
men and women in Singapore, those who reported regular soft drink consumption
were at increased risk of pancreatic cancer when compared with those who
largely abstained," Mark Pereira, of the School of Public Health at the
University of Minnesota, and colleagues wrote. "There was no association
between consumption of juice and risk of pancreatic cancer."
Research has shown that insulin
promotes pancreatic cancer cell growth, and some researchers think sugary foods
could result in blood sugar and insulin fluctuations that expose the pancreas
to high concentrations of insulin.
Summary
Given the gloomy prospects for
surviving pancreatic cancer rates and the fact that there is no screening test
and very few treatment options, anything you can do to reduce your risk is
definitely worth considering. Even if the link between sugar consumption and pancreatic
cancer would not be so conclusive, sugar is a non-nutrient that damages health
in a number of ways and contributes to the growing obesity epidemic. And
sugar-added drinks are on the top of the pyramid of the most undesired food
products in our diet anyway. So, maybe it is time to cut them off?
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