ArcaMax

What do Hawaiian Punch, ketchup, and sweet and sour dipping sauce (at Micky D's) all have in common? Bet you didn't guess this one -- they enhance tumor growth, because they contain high fructose corn syrup!

We've been telling you to avoid HFCS because it messes with blood sugar regulation, contributes to weight gain and increases levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides as it ups your risk for fatty liver disease and diabetes. But if all that isn't enough to convince you of its dangers, a new study in Nature shows that HFCS increases the volume of circulating nutrients that cancer cells feast on to grow.

This is concerning because Americans are now downing 15 times more fructose than they did 100 years ago, and that means they are overfeeding tumor cells as they overfeed themselves. That may be why researchers have observed that as fructose consumption has surged, certain cancers have become increasingly more prevalent -- especially in folks younger than 50.

The smart move: If you have cancer, avoid fructose -- both HFCS and plain fructose -- in prepared and processed foods. And the rest of you -- don't make your body a happy hunting ground for cells that are mutating into cancer. Ditch all added sugars and syrups. For a sweet treat, enjoy 1 ounce of 70% dark chocolate daily. And for more info on how to make smart food choices that keep you healthier and younger longer, check out Dr. Mike's books "What to Eat When" and "The What to Eat When Cookbook."

Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).

(c)2025 Michael Roizen, M.D.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

(c) 2025 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.