The journal Cancer Research reported on the effects of dietary sugar on breast cancer.

In the study, mice were randomly fed one of three diets: the first was a fructose-enriched diet, the second a sucrose-enriched diet, and the third was a starch-controlled diet.

The researchers found that sucrose and fructose intake in mice that was comparable with levels in human Western diets led to increased tumor growth and metastasis, when compared with the starch-controlled diet.

In addition, the researchers determined that fructose that was derived from the sucrose was responsible for facilitating lung metastasis in breast cancer tumors.

The authors hypothesized that the increase in the tumor-forming effect was caused by the overproduction of inflammatory mediators such as 12-lipoxygenase and its metabolites.

They concluded, “. . . our data suggested that dietary sugar . . . increase[s] the risk of breast cancer development and metastasis.”

This study confirms that some of the most commonly consumed sugars — fructose and sucrose — increase the formation of breast cancer tumors.

Fructose is a very large component of the standard American diet. It is found in numerous soft drinks and processed foods, usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup.

Breast cancer is occurring at epidemic rates: 1 in 7 women in the U.S. currently suffer.

And unless we search for the underlying cause(s) of this epidemic, we will make little progress in stemming the tide.

I believe the breast cancer epidemic is occurring, at least in part, because of widespread poor diets that consist of too much sugar.

Refined sugar in the form of sucrose or high fructose corn syrup can disrupt a person’s immune system. In fact, it has been shown to slow white blood cell activity for up to six hours after ingestion.

We simply get too much sugar in our diets. I suggest limiting — or better yet eliminating — all sources of refined sugar. It’s hard, but it can be done.

More information can be found in my book, The Guide to Healthy Eating.