New Delhi: A new study by US researchers has found that the glucose-fructose combination found in sugary drinks may directly accelerate the spread of advanced colorectal cancer.
Many cancer patients are often advised to consume nutritional supplement drinks and concentrated juices, which typically contain high levels of glucose and fructose. Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center examined how such drinks influence late-stage colorectal cancer.
“Our findings highlight that daily diet matters not only for cancer risk but also for how the disease progresses once it has developed,” said Jihye Yun, Assistant Professor of Genetics at the university.
Using laboratory models, the team compared the impact of glucose-fructose mixtures commonly found in sugary drinks with that of glucose or fructose alone. They found that only the combined sugar mix made cancer cells more mobile, accelerating their spread to the liver — the most common site of colorectal cancer metastasis.
The researchers discovered that the sugar mix activated an enzyme called sorbitol dehydrogenase (SORD), which enhances glucose metabolism and triggers the cholesterol pathway, thereby driving metastasis. This is the same pathway targeted by statins, widely used heart medications that block cholesterol production.
When SORD was blocked, the spread of cancer slowed down, even in the presence of the sugar mix. Published in the journal Nature Metabolism, the findings suggest that targeting SORD could provide a potential strategy to prevent metastasis.
Sugar has long been indirectly linked to higher cancer risk through obesity. Earlier work by Yun’s team showed that even moderate sugary drink consumption directly fueled tumor growth in early-stage colorectal cancer, independent of obesity.
The researchers said it may now be worth reconsidering current dietary recommendations for cancer patients to limit sugary drink intake. “While these findings need further investigation, they suggest that reducing sugary drinks, targeting SORD, or repurposing statins may benefit patients with colorectal cancer,” Yun added.