Colorectal cancer: Say no to sugary drinks: they can increase the risk of colorectal cancer

WASHINGTON DC. [USA]Consuming only one or two cups of sugary drinks a day can accelerate the growth of intestinal tumors, scientists said, who also discovered how sugar can directly fuel cancer growth.

Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medicine in the United States conducted the study on mice.

"Increasing numbers of observational studies have raised awareness of the link between sugary drink consumption, obesity and the risk of colorectal cancer," said Jihye Yun, an badistant professor at Baylor.

"We know that obesity increases the risk of many types of cancer, including colorectal cancer, however, we did not know if there was a direct and causal link between sugar consumption and cancer" Yun said.

The researchers created a mouse model of early-stage colon cancer, in which the APC gene is deleted.

"APC is a colorectal cancer warden, removing this protein is like breaking up a car," Yun said.

"Without it, normal intestinal cells do not stop growing or dying, forming early-stage tumors called polyps, and more than 90% of patients with colorectal cancer have this type of APC mutation," she says. she said.

Using this murine model of the disease, the team tested the effect of daily consumption of a modest amount of high fructose corn syrup – the equivalent of people drinking about one and a half times a sweet drink – on the development of the tumor.

The sweet water was made up of 25% high fructose corn syrup, which is the main sweetener of sugary drinks consumed. The high fructose corn syrup is composed of glucose and fructose in a ratio of 45:55.

When the researchers provided the sugary drink in the water bottle so that APC model mice could drink at will, the mice quickly gained weight within a month.

To prevent mice from being obese and mimicking the daily consumption of a soda can by humans, the researchers administered mice a moderate amount of oral sugar water with a special syringe once per day.

After two months, APC model mice receiving sweet water did not become obese, but developed larger and higher grade tumors than model mice treated with ordinary water.

"These results suggest that when animals have early intestinal tumors – which can happen to many young adults by chance and without warning – even modest consumption of high fructose corn syrup can stimulate tumor growth." and progression regardless of obesity, "Yun said.

"More research is needed to translate these findings to people, but our findings in animal models suggest that chronic consumption of sugary drinks can reduce the time needed for cancer to develop," she said.

The team then studied the mechanism by which this sugar promotes tumor growth. They found that APC model mice receiving a modest high fructose corn syrup had large amounts of fructose in their colon.

They found that sugary drinks increased fructose and glucose levels in the colon and blood, respectively, and that tumors could effectively absorb fructose and glucose through different routes.

Fructose was first chemically modified and this process then allowed it to effectively promote the production of fatty acids, which ultimately contribute to tumor growth.

"This study revealed the surprising finding that colorectal cancers use high-fructose corn syrup, the main ingredient of most sweet sodas and many other processed foods, as fuel to increase tumor growth, "said Lewis Cantley of Weill Cornell Medicine.

"While many studies have correlated the increased rate of colorectal cancer with diet, this study shows a direct molecular mechanism for the correlation between sugar consumption and colorectal cancer," Cantley said.

"Our discoveries also open up new treatment possibilities," Yun said.