High-Fructose Corn Syrup Can Fuel Tumor Growth

Here's one more reason to stop drinking soda: Pancreatic cancer cells use fructose to fuel the growth of tumors. And where do most folks get their fructose? Fructose is the active sugar in high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a substance prevalent throughout processed foods, soda pop, and juices.

HFCS has already been linked to obesity and diabetes, but the study on pancreatic cancer cells released by UCLA researchers is compelling for two reasons: One, this is the first study to link cancer growth to fructose. But more importantly, the function of the pancreas is to create insulin, which regulates blood sugar. The association of tumor growth driven by fructose within the pancreas supports earlier studies linking pancreatic cancer to fructose intake. For those of you whose eyes glazed over when you read the word "pancreas", here's the takeway: Refined sugar is bad for you. Like, in a life-or-death sort of way.

The danger of fructose is not news, but the Corn Refiners Association is hard at work doing damage control on the evidence that its prized product has been linked to the two most pressing health epidemics in America. Between 1970 and 1990, HFCS consumption has increased by 1,000 percent. Yes, that's three zeros: one thousand. Not surprisingly, rates of diabetes and obesity skyrocketed during that time and continue to grow. In the meantime, our friends in the corn industry continue to give us sweet surprises in the form of mock-worthy commercials that claim HFCS is "fine in moderation."

But the lead researcher on the UCLA study, Anthony Heaney, is steadfast in his defense of his group's findings and hopes to see action at higher levels of government concerning fructose consumption. From the HealthNewsDigest story:

As in anti-smoking campaigns, a federal effort should be launched to reduce refined fructose intake, Heaney said.

“I think this paper has a lot of public health implications,” Heaney said. “Hopefully, at the federal level there will be some effort to step back on the amount of HFCS in our diets.”

I hope so too, but given legislative history, Congress is more than willing to provide King Corn with plenty of subsidies–a point we've brought up time and again at Change.org. In case you missed it, the top 10 percent of  farm subsidy recipients receive 71 percent of the subsidies. Rich people are getting richer, fat people are getting fatter, and sick people are getting sicker, in part because of corn subsidies.

HFCS may make some products taste better, but the health risks it poses aren't so sweet. Take action now, and sign this petition asking Congress to tax HFCS.

Photo via WikiMedia Commons