Cancer Chronicles with Cynthia Dano: Winter 2025
Sugar, Cancer, and the Holidays-Navigating Nutrition During (and after) Cancer, Part 2
In the last edition of Cancer Chronicles, we talked about nutrition in general. As we navigate the holidays, it seemed fitting to focus on sugar. The holidays have a way of putting sugar everywhere. Cookies, cakes, and pies everywhere you turn. Desserts and delicacies at every gathering. Confections that seem to refill themselves. There’s so much that maybe we should rename the holidays the Sugar Season!
If cancer has touched your life in any way, this time of year often brings up a familiar question: How careful do I need to be about sugar?
It’s a reasonable question, and one that deserves a steady, honest answer, not panic and not permission slips. Here’s the truth: excess sugar is bad for everyone, and almost all of us get way more sugar than is healthy. If you have researched sugar online, some websites warn that sugar is practically poison, while others insist it makes no difference at all. And somewhere in
the middle, people living with cancer (and those who love them) are left staring at the nutrition label on a bottle of ketchup, wondering if two teaspoons are a death sentence.
Cancer’s “Sweet Tooth”
You’ll often hear the phrase, “cancer feeds on sugar.” That statement isn’t exactly wrong, but it’s incomplete. The truth—as always—is more nuanced. Let’s cut through the myths and look at what the science actually says. Back in the 1920s, a scientist named Otto Warburg discovered something curious: cancer cells love sugar. Unlike most healthy cells, which rely on
oxygen for efficient energy production, cancer cells often ferment glucose (sugar) into energy even when oxygen is plentiful. This is called the Warburg effect.
But here’s the catch: all carbs—from a cookie to a carrot—eventually break down into glucose in your bloodstream.
Cancer cells use glucose.
So do healthy cells.
Your brain, muscles, and immune system all depend on it.
Sugar does not selectively feed cancer while sparing the rest of the body. It doesn’t travel directly from your plate to a tumor—it circulates, and every cell gets a chance at it.
Eating an occasional piece of cake is not the same as “feeding your cancer.” But over time, what and how much sugar you eat does shape your body’s environment.
Does Sugar Cause Cancer?
According to the American Cancer Society the answer is: Not directly. Cancer is complex, with genetic, metabolic, and immune factors all at play. Where concern is warranted is in what happens over time with high sugar intake. But excess sugar contributes indirectly through:
Weight gain & obesity – Excess calories from sugary drinks and processed foods fuel fat storage.
Insulin resistance & metabolic imbalance – Chronically high sugar raises insulin and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor), hormones that tell cells to grow and divide. Cancer cells often have more insulin receptors—so they get more of this “grow” signal.
Chronic Inflammation – A high-sugar diet promotes chronic inflammation, which can weaken the immune system’s ability to detect and fight cancer cells.
In short, it’s not that sugar causes cancer, but too much sugar creates conditions where cancer has an easier time thriving.
Here’s the tricky part: Added sugars are master hiders! They’re not just in obvious culprits like donuts, candy, and soda. They’re lurking in places you might not expect:
Yogurts: Especially flavored ones, even those marketed as “healthy.”
Breakfast Cereals: Many popular brands are sugar bombs.
Granola Bars & Protein Bars: Read those labels!
Breads: Yes, even seemingly innocent whole wheat bread can have added sugar
Sauces & Dressings: Ketchup, BBQ sauce, salad dressings, marinades.
Canned Soups: Often have surprising amounts of sugar.
Sweetened Beverages: Juices, iced teas, sports drinks.
Food manufacturers use sugar to extend shelf life and keep us coming back for more. Some estimates say up to 70% of packaged foods in the grocery store contain added sugar. That means most of us are eating more than we realize — not because we’re binging desserts all day, but because sugar sneaks into everyday foods...and that can be a problem.
While natural sugars in fruit come with fiber and nutrients, added sugars are empty calories. They provide a quick energy spike but no nutritional value, and too much can contribute to inflammation and other health issues.
Why the holidays deserve a little more intention
Holidays tend to disrupt routines. Meals get less predictable. Sleep is shorter. Stress runs higher. And sugar is simply more available than usual. On its own, a holiday dessert isn’t the issue. What matters more is repetition and context.
Sugar eaten occasionally, as part of a balanced meal, behaves very differently in the body than sugar eaten frequently or on an empty stomach.
This is where small choices add up.
A steadier way to think about sugar
Instead of swinging between fear and indulgence, it helps to land in a calmer middle ground. Sugar doesn’t need to be
eliminated, but it also doesn’t need to be automatic. Meals should stay nourishing. Protein, vegetables, and fiber help stabilize blood sugar and reduce metabolic strain. Frequency matters more than a single moment. Daily sweets for weeks affect the body differently than occasional treats. Sugar shouldn’t replace real food. Skipping meals to “save room” often leads to blood sugar swings and stronger cravings.
This approach isn’t about perfection. It’s about steadiness.
Practical ways to navigate the season
A few simple strategies that actually help:
*Begin meals with protein and fiber
*Keep sweets occasional rather than routine
*Avoid sugary drinks when possible, as they add sugar without satisfaction
*Take a short walk after meals to support blood sugar regulation
*Pay attention to stress and fatigue, which often drive cravings more than hunger
These are quiet, supportive choices, not rigid rules.
For those in treatment or cancer survivorship, extreme food rules are rarely helpful and can sometimes be harmful. At the same time, chronically high sugar intake isn’t neutral.
The goal is not elimination.
The goal is metabolic stability.
That means consistent nourishment, adequate protein, and supporting the body in ways that reduce inflammation and support healing. This is best guided by personalized medical or nutrition care rather than fear-based messages.
A final thought
Sugar doesn’t need to be the centerpiece of the holidays.
But it doesn’t need to turn them into a battleground either.
Health is shaped by what we do most days. The holidays are just a brief chapter. With a little intention, they can be navigated calmly, without guilt and without extremes.
Here’s to a Happy and Healthy New Year!
If you’re walking this path, know you’re not alone. I am a Radical Remission teacher and coach. For more information, see my website and blog at www.cynthiadano.com . My new book, Uprooted, which details my ovarian cancer recurrence, is now available on Amazon.
