Rampant Health Myths that Need to Die | Reader’s Digest

“There is no evidence that eliminating sugar from one’s diet will treat cancer, and there have been no studies showing that eating sugar will make cancer worse. Research has shown that cancer cells do consume more glucose (sugar), but this is not indicative of ‘feeding’ the cancer or causing the cancer to progress. All cells depend on glucose for energy, but giving more sugar or less sugar will not affect the rate of growth of the cancer cells. A high-sugar diet can contribute to weight gain, and obese patients do have an increased risk of developing certain cancers, but the sugar itself does not directly affect one’s cancer risk.” —Shikha Jain, MD, hematologist and oncologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Source: Rampant Health Myths that Need to Die | Reader’s Digest

About Shikha Jain, MD FACP

I am a practicing, board-certified hematology/oncology physician in Chicago. I speak on topics ranging from the impact of social media on healthcare, how physicians can utilize social media, how to write Op-eds in the medical world, gender equity and barriers to career advancement, and topics in GI oncology and immunotherapy. My goal is to explain complicated topics in simple terms. I also enjoy writing and you can find some of my writing on this site. I am a mother to three amazing kids and married to a gastroenterologist. I look forward to connecting with you.

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this: