When you’re diagnosed with cancer, your number one enemy may seem to be yourself. After all, cancer comes from your own cells. Your body is literally killing you on accident.

But you can help reverse that process–set it to rights. And the number one method is:

It’s very simple.

It’s very difficult.

But you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain from this one change to your lifestyle.

I know that, especially when dealing with childhood cancer, you want to enjoy a little bit. You might be in and out the hospital in a day for each treatment…or you might be living there and watching your child miss the traditional rites of growing up. That’s why I decided to publish no-sugar treats on this site. Because everyone needs a little tender loving from time to time.

However, the question you must be asking is why? Why can’t I have sweets? What will that little cookie really do to me?

As a cancer patient, it’s the worst combination imaginable.

Tumors are masses of “broken” cells. In the case of blood cancers, all the cells (circulating or amassed in a tumor) are broken. In layman’s speech, they essentially reverted to a prehistoric way of utilizing energy. Normally your cells are able to switch between using fat and glucose for energy–all except brain cells, which preferentially consume glucose molecules. But as a result of broken respiration, your cancerous cells prefer to burn sugar. Higher-than-normal glucose uptake values by cancer cells is why PET scans are useful; the radioactive glucose molecules are quite literally sucked up by the cancer cells.

Which, put another way, means: eat sugar, feed the cancer.

This isn’t to say that any form of sugar can fuel cancer growth. Any glucose at all serves as fuel for your body. However, added sugars cause additional inflammation and damage that further erodes your body’s ability to fight against your cancer. Studies [1, 2] confirm that ingestion of sugar and simple carbohydrates significantly reduce phagocytosis (the ingestion of pathogens and cell debris by the immune system). This effect lasts for at least 5 hours after consumption, with an average 44% decrease in immune function. Not only that, but sugar consumption causes a correspondingly high release of insulin and associated growth factors, which are conducive to cancer proliferation.

So yes, that cookie looks mighty tasty. You’ve have a bad day, a bad week, and even a bad tally of months. But you’re trying to beat your cancer and live a long and happy life. So put it down.

Make a Bitesized Treat instead!