Possible link between sugary drinks and cancer | Hacker News Reader

Possible link between sugary drinks and cancer

sciencedaily.com

31 pointsLinuxBender17 comments

Downvotes notwithstanding, probably almost everyone should be taking metformin.

While the study referenced is new, the news tying sugar metabolism to cancer is old. Some physicians noticed decades ago that diabetic patients who took metformin rerely got cancer: those with cancers got better from taking metformin.

Studies were initiated circa 2002 and show that metformin inhibits cancer (even existing cancer) and extends lifespan like nothing else.

"The Drug Virtually Everyone Should Ask their Doctor About":

https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2010/11/The-Drug-Virt...

"FORGET THE BLOOD OF TEENS. THIS PILL PROMISES TO EXTEND LIFE FOR A NICKEL A POP":

https://www.wired.com/story/this-pill-promises-to-extend-lif...

I use a natural alternative called Berberine. I've been seeing great results from it. it also modifies p53, clamps glucose, is anti-cancer, anti-tumor. But if you can get your doc to prescribe metformin, perhaps it will be cheaper to use insurance.

Berberine is great but I can't sleep if I take it late in the day. I have to take it first thing in the morning, and even then it's quite powerful in its hunger-inducing effect.

I've not had a hunger affect from it, but I do avoid taking it in the evening. I take it early in the morning, then mid morning and afternoon. It took a couple months to get used to it.

Metformin prevents the production of sugar from fats in the liver. (Gluconeogenesis GNG) My partner noticed was that, if he fasts while on Metformin, blood sugar levels got seriously low. Around 40 mg/dL. I guess GNG keeps blood sugar levels high enough to prevent issues while ketones take over the energy economy.

So if you are fasting for more than a couple days you may want to skip that metformin dose.

It's better for both people and the environment to reduce sugar consumption.

I get a worsening of tinnitus from metformin, even in a 250 mg dose, but not from berberine.

Funny, here's the original HN discussion on the actual study:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20412291

I left a comment there... "I guess now we watch for headlines like "Soda Causes Cancer" which is not what this really says."

but drinking red wine extends life right...right?!?

Possible link between aspartame and cancer. Possible link between non-sweet drinks and cancer.

Possible link between enjoying yourself ever and cancer.

Enjoy your life, exercise a bit, don't eat too many processed / sugary foods. Enjoy life - we all die eventually.

If only we could make the basic step of getting the masses to understand why being obese isn't okay... i.e. fat acceptance movement etc...

> If only we could make the basic step of getting the masses to understand why being obese isn't okay

I don't think that this is the problem. The problem is that we don't really have a good way of helping people who are obese from being obese (with the exception of mechanical changes like a gastric sleeve). For people who are fat, you can't just explain to them that they shouldn't be fat. The failure rates for this are INSANE. AFAICT, explaining to fat people that they shouldn't be fat is just a feel-good exercise for the speaker.

But once you have fat people that you can't help, cognitive dissonance will kick in, and they will normalize it. I mean, the alternative (not normalizing their own physical bodies) is probably also quite harmful. So... Let's figure out an actual good way of helping people not be fat? Blaming fat-acceptance? meh.

Or sugar and cancer. Why draw such a simplistic correlation.

On the Internet, one can find 'studies' for pros and cons of anything...

Here is one stating that soft drinks are part of balanced diet:

http://www.britishsoftdrinks.com/Health-and-Wellbeing

However, I think I will stick to not consuming soft drinks.

C'mon - pretending that marketing materials from the British Soft Drink Association is equivalent just because they are "both on the internet" is just silly.

agreed - I was just joking.

Thank you, I was looking for something to support my opinion. I'll just repost this on my health blog with a catchy title like "Secret benefits of soda: what doctors don't want you to know!"

Seriously though, I find I have to watch my back these days.

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