Excess carbohydrates increases the risk of cancer

Carbohydrates are necessary for us as a source of energy and the use of a moderate amount of them contributes to the normal functioning of the body. At the same time, chronically high levels of carbohydrates in the blood, such as in diabetes mellitus, have a damaging effect on cells and, as a recent study has shown, increase the risk of cancer.

It is well known that obesity is the leading cause of diabetes, a disease in which the body loses the ability to control blood glucose levels. Less well-known is the fact that diabetes and obesity are associated with an increased risk of cancer. For example, diabetics are twice as likely to develop pancreatic or rectal cancer as in the general population.

Researchers at the Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid, working under the guidance of Dr. Custodia Garcia-Jimenez, have deciphered the genetic mechanisms that trigger the progression of malignant tumors at high levels of carbohydrates.

The authors studied how intestinal cells react to carbohydrates and signal the pancreas to release insulin, a hormone that regulates blood glucose levels.

Carbohydrates entering the intestine trigger the release of gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) by the cells, which stimulates the release of insulin from the pancreas. The results of the study showed that the release of gastric inhibitory polypeptide is regulated by a protein known as beta-catenin, whose activity, including its accumulation in the cell nucleus area, depends on glucose levels.

The accumulation of beta-catenin in the cell nucleus promotes the launch of genetic mechanisms that endow cells with the ability to divide indefinitely, which is a key stage in the early stages of the formation of malignant tumors.

The authors note that they were surprised when they found that changes in metabolism caused by carbohydrates coming with food increase the risk of cancer. Currently, they are finding out what other components of the diet can have a similar effect.

Article by Ana Chocarro-Calvo et al. Glucose-Induced beta-Catenin Acetylation Enhances Wnt Signaling in Cancer is published in the journal Molecular Cell.

Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the AlphaGalileo Foundation: Scientists link excess sugar to cancer.

06.02.2013