Researchers in the United States have discovered that the glucose-fructose combination present in sugary drinks directly contributes to the progression of advanced colon cancer. Many cancer patients are advised to consume concentrated juices with high glucose and fructose content and nutritional supplement drinks in order to meet their nutritional demands. A group from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center investigated the potential impact of sugar-filled beverages on colorectal cancer in its advanced stages. Jihye Yun, an assistant professor of genetics at the university, stated, “Our findings highlight that daily diet matters not only for cancer risk but also for how the disease progresses once it has developed.”
They examined the impact of either glucose or fructose alone against the glucose-fructose combination present in the majority of sugary drinks using lab-based cancer models. The most frequent site of colorectal cancer metastasis, the liver, was reached more quickly because only the sugar mixture increased the mobility of cancer cells. Sorbitol dehydrogenase (SORD), an enzyme that increases glucose metabolism and initiates the cholesterol pathway, was triggered by the sugar mixture and ultimately led to metastasis.
Blocking SORD, a pathway targeted by statins, slowed metastasis even with sugar present, according to a study published in Nature Metabolism. This suggests targeting SORD could help block cancer spread. Previous research linked sugary drinks to tumor growth in colorectal cancer, independent of obesity. Yun’s team recommends reconsidering dietary advice for cancer patients, suggesting reducing sugary drinks, targeting SORD, or repurposing statins for potential benefits.
