Sami (Papacek) Mansfield: Can Sugar Fuel Cancer? A New Study Uncovers a Surprising Pathway
Sami (Papacek) Mansfield, Founder of Cancer Wellness for Life, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Can Sugar Fuel Cancer? A New Study Uncovers a Surprising Pathway.
What if cancer isn’t consuming fructose directly — but using your liver to do the dirty work?
A new NIH-funded study published in Nature just revealed something eye-opening:
- Cancer cells often can’t metabolize fructose on their own.
- But the liver can, converting it into fats (lipids) that cancer cells eagerly absorb.
The result? Accelerated tumor growth.
For years, research has linked high-fructose corn syrup — found in sodas, cereals, and ultra-processed foods — to increased cancer risk. But the how remained unclear.
This study finally offers a clue:
- Liver cells process fructose → turn it into lipids → cancer cells use those lipids to build and grow.
- Mice fed high-fructose corn syrup saw their tumors grow faster.
- A drug that blocks the KHK enzyme (which helps break down fructose) slowed tumor growth in lab animals.
Does this mean you should cut all fructose? No. Whole fruits are different. Their sugars are processed differently in the body compared to ultra-processed foods.
But it does mean food is more than fuel — it’s a biological signal that can shape disease.
This is just the beginning of the research, but it raises big questions:
- Could targeted enzyme blockers become a new way to slow cancer?
- Should we rethink how processed sugars influence cancer risk?
The connection between metabolism and cancer is stronger than ever.
What do you think? Should we be paying more attention to sugar’s impact on disease?
One of the most important lifestyle habits I share with colleagues and cancer survivors? Watching added sugar intake.
We recommend following the American Heart Association’s guideline: no more than 25-35g of added sugar per day.
Most people are shocked when they learn the average American consumes 3x that amount—often from sugar-sweetened drinks.
That grande vanilla latte? 35g of added sugar.
One 12 oz soda? 40g+.
Small choices add up. Being mindful of sugar intake isn’t about perfection — it’s about awareness.”
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