Put the Donut Down! Scientists Find New Link Between Sugar and Cancer

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According to a new study published in Nature Communications October 13, sugar acts as fuel for cancer cells.

Since 2008, scientists in Belgium have been working to better understand the Warburg Effect, a phenomenon where tumor cells are powered through fermenting sugars.

In the study, scientists explain that non-cancerous cells are powered through a process called aerobic respiration, which transforms digested food into energy-filled molecules. Cancer cells differ, producing energy by very quickly fermenting sugar in the form of glucose into lactate.

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Replicating the fermentation process of yeast cells in their lab, researchers discovered that high levels of glucose stimulated the Ras proteins, a common cancer-causing gene, to the point where cancer cells began multiplying and expanding.

"Our research reveals how the hyperactive sugar consumption of cancerous cells leads to a vicious cycle of continued stimulation of cancer development and growth," Johan Thevelein, one of the researchers in the study, said in a statement.

Though the findings are not enough to explain the causes behind the effect, speculation surrounding the study suggests it could be the foundation for creating a low-sugar diet better suited for cancer patients.

"The findings are not sufficient to identify the primary cause of the Warburg effect," Thevelein said in a release. "Further research is needed to find out whether this primary cause is also conserved in yeast cells."

Thevelein later indicated that the nine-year study will allow "much more precise and relevant focus" within the field.

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