Should you avoid sugar to reduce your cancer risk?

It’s a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no, and the idea that sugar feeds cancer is somewhat misunderstood. That’s because your body needs a specific type of sugar from carbohydrates to function properly.

“When we eat anything with carbohydrates, whether that’s soda or ice cream or better carbohydrates like fruit and whole grain bread – some of those carbohydrates get broken down into a sugar called glucose, and that’s a good thing. Systems like our brain and muscle regeneration actually operate best if they’ve got some of that glucose,” explained Paige Welsh, RD, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic.

Welsh said that all cells, including cancer cells, need sugar for energy. However, there is no research to suggest that directly eating sugar can cause someone to develop cancer or impact the growth of cancer cells.

Welsh said what we need to be paying attention to are the added sugars. These aren’t naturally occurring in foods and can contribute to obesity and other health issues linked to cancer.

So, how much is too much when it comes to added sugars?

“For females, we want to keep those added sugars to 25 grams per day. For males, we want to keep added sugars to 36 grams per day. However, less is best, so check those labels and make sure you’re not getting an overabundance,” Welsh said.

For our overall diets, Welsh said we should stick to whole foods with naturally occurring sugars, like fruit.

However, if you’re craving something like chocolate or ice cream, moderation is key.