High-fructose corn syrup something that is in the sugary drinks we all enjoy could potentially lead to the growth of intestinal tumors... or at least it did in mice. In a study conducted by Baylor College of Medicine they found proof that consuming mass amounts of high-fructose corn syrup can lead to intestinal tumors. This study showed that consuming a modest amount of the syrup which is equal to about twelve ounces of a sugary drink can accelerate the growth of intestinal tumors in mice who had the disease. They also found correlations that the consumption of this kind of sugar leads to the growth of tumors.
While this study was independent of obesity there were links that directly tied the two together Dr. Jihye Yun tells us that "An increasing number of observational studies have raised awareness of the association between consuming sugary drinks, obesity and the risk of colorectal cancer, The current thought is that sugar is harmful to our health mainly because consuming too much can lead to obesity. We know that obesity increases the risk of many types of cancer including colorectal cancer; however, we were uncertain whether a direct and causal link existed between sugar consumption and cancer" which led them to their current study.
They started the study by generating a mouse with early stage colon cancer they removed the APC gene in the mouse which generated the growth of the cancer. Once the mouse had conducted the cancer they tested the effect of consuming sugar-sweetened water on the development of the tumor. The water they gave the mouse was twenty-five percent high-fructose corn syrup and had a ration of 45:55 glucose to fructose.
They found that with the consumption the mouse gained weight rapidly in the first month, and to prevent the mice from being obese they fed the sugar water at a moderate amount rather than allowing the mouse to drink at its will. They found that after two months the developed tumors were larger and of higher grade than those in the mice treated with regular water. Their research showed that " when the animals have early stage of tumors in the intestines -- which can occur in many young adult humans by chance and without notice -- consuming even modest amounts of high-fructose corn syrup in liquid form can boost tumor growth and progression independently of obesity." The researchers notes that there was more research needed to see the effects in people, but they were able to prove a correlation between the consumption of sugary drinks and increase in tumor size.
With more research they found that the fructose in those drinks enabled the production of fatty acids which led to tumor growth, and that the body was able to separate the fructose and glucose and the tumor was taking in both via different routes further increasing the size. The hope of this study is to increase awareness about the potential harmful consequences about overconsuming sugary drinks and to reduce the risk associated with colon cancer worldwide.
The problem that this article is tackling is the idea that the way our society eats and drinks large amounts of sugar are increasing our risks of colon cancer, and worsening patients with colon cancer. The audience should care about this problem because it shows how as Americans our eating habits are contributing to the poor health that we all seem to suffer from. How our eating habits can effect us long term. The particular audience for this article is everyone I think. We all have consumed one to many pops or sweet tea and this article shows that we need to be much more conscious of what we're putting in our bodies. One thing this article could have done better is explain how drinking sugary drinks in your youth can contribute to this problem, but since its just a preliminary article they may not have had the data for that.
Overall, this article does a good job of highlighting the dangers of consuming to much high-fructose corn syrup and highlights a problem that has been circling through out society for years.
