55KRC: Does sugar feed cancer?
Stacy Shawhan, clinical oncology dietitian at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center and UC Health, joined 55KRC's Simply Medicine radio show and podcast recently to discuss the popular myth that sugar feeds cancer and helps cancer cells to grow.
"Over the past seven years working as a board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition, this is one of the most pervasive myths in cancer nutrition," she said. "Saying the phrase that sugar feeds cancer is extremely misleading, and it can actually be dangerous for people who are afraid of developing cancer or who have may already received a cancer diagnosis because it can actually lead to increased anxiety, and it can lead to instances of disordered eating if it goes too far."
Shawhan noted that at the cellular level, healthy and cancerous cells both use glucose to create energy.
"When we consume any kind of carbohydrate, whether an apple or a candy bar or a slice of bread, by the time you digest that food and it’s broken down and absorbed into your blood stream, the end result is a really small molecule called glucose," she said. "If you’re thinking about sugar as glucose, yes absolutely, we all need a certain amount of sugar."
For generally healthy individuals, sugar intake should be attempted to be limited to no more than 25 grams per day.
"I would say that for healthy people who have not received a cancer diagnosis, one of the best things that all of us could do regardless of resources and regardless of your cultural background would be to try to incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet," Shawhan added.
Listen to the Simply Medicine segment. (Note: Segment begins around 28:35 mark.)
Featured photo at top courtesy of Unsplash.
Related Stories
Sugar overload killing hearts
November 10, 2025
Two in five people will be told they have diabetes during their lifetime. And people who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease. One of the deadliest dangers? Diabetic cardiomyopathy. But groundbreaking University of Cincinnati research hopes to stop and even reverse the damage before it’s too late.
Is going nuclear the solution to Ohio’s energy costs?
November 10, 2025
The Ohio Capital Journal recently reported that as energy prices continue to climb, economists are weighing the benefits of going nuclear to curb costs. The publication dove into a Scioto Analysis survey of 18 economists to weigh the pros and cons of nuclear energy. One economist featured was Iryna Topolyan, PhD, professor of economics at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
App turns smartwatch into detector of structural heart disease
November 10, 2025
An app that uses an AI model to read a single-lead ECG from a smartwatch can detect structural heart disease, researchers reported at the 2025 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. Although the technology requires further validation, researchers said it could help improve the identification of patients with heart failure, valvular conditions and left ventricular hypertrophy before they become symptomatic, which could improve the prognosis for people with these conditions.