Does Sugar Fuel Cancer? What the Science Actually Shows (2026 Update)
The statement “sugar feeds cancer” is widespread — but incomplete. The relationship between sugar and cancer is not as simple as eliminating sugar to stop tumor growth. However, metabolic dysfunction, chronic hyperinsulinemia, and high glycemic load diets are increasingly recognized as contributors to cancer risk and possibly progression. This article clarifies what we know — and what we don’t. Sugars ‘Nourish’ Cancer Cells For cancer patients, “sugar intake can indeed nourish cancer cells,” Mingyang Song, associate professor of clinical epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told The Epoch Times. This is supported by strong epidemiological evidence, he said. Soft drinks on shelves in Riga, Latvia. Sugary drinks are prevalent across the world. (Tanya Keisha/Shutterstock) A study published in PLoS One involving 1,011 colon cancer patients with a follow-up period of over seven years found that compared to patients consuming less than two servings ...