Cancer Prevention Breakthroughs

Photo by: CN Digital Studio

Good sugar levels may drop your risk.

Got your sweet tooth under control? Great! Type 2 diabetes may raise your chances of developing cancer, research finds. One possible culprit: insulin. When people become insulin-resistant-often because of weight gain-their body produces more of the hormone to compensate. "Certain body tissues, including those in the breast and colon, have insulin receptors. It's likely that high ... more 

Photo by: CN Digital Studio

Good sugar levels may drop your risk.

Got your sweet tooth under control? Great! Type 2 diabetes may raise your chances of developing cancer, research finds. One possible culprit: insulin. When people become insulin-resistant-often because of weight gain-their body produces more of the hormone to compensate. "Certain body tissues, including those in the breast and colon, have insulin receptors. It's likely that high insulin levels speed the growth of those tissues, which leads to damage that can result in cancer," explains Lewis Cantley, Ph.D., a biochemist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

What to do: Keep that blood sugar in check. If you're not already eating whole-wheat everything, now is the time to start. Your body processes refined carbs quickly, causing your blood sugar to spike and insulin levels to go up, Cantley says. And beware of added sugars, such as honey, agave nectar and dextrose, which often sneak into packaged foods.

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