Is it realistic to only eat 25 g of (natural) sugar a day?

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DomoPoa
DomoPoa Posts: 13 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Okay, the reason why I'm asking is I recently over came cancer. They caught it early enough so they could treat it.

Since then I've been trying to eat things that not only are healthier, but have a lot of cancer fighting ingredients (like vitamin A, C, Zinc, and antioxidants.)

However, every where I read is that sugar makes cells grow, meaning cancer cells as well. So the recommended amount of sugar a day (for women) 25g. But holy crap! That seems low, especially since most vegetable and things that are heathy for you are high in natural sugars. ( like sweet potatoes !)

I also heard too much protein could effect cancer too? (What?!)

So my real questions are:

1. Even though sugar makes cells grow, even cancerous cells, could the benefits of eating healthy make those cells non cancerous?
2. Eating 25g of sugar a day, is that realistic? Has anyone else heard this?
3. I've heard whey protein is good for you and could help fight virus, but does eating too much protein cause cancer as well?

I know that's a lot of what sounds like nonsense, but look it up and you'll see what I'm talking about. Hence why I am confused. Anyone to shine some light on these subjects would be much lay appreciated.

Replies

  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    25g added sugar not total. If you stick to mostly non-processed food it is relatively easy.

    And whey is a protein source - forget about fighting viruses or causing cancer - it does neither in regular usage of supplementation.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited September 2016
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    I doubt there's a benefit to keeping overall sugar below 25 g and I could not do it without limiting the amount of fruits and vegetables I like to eat and think should be part of a healthful diet. I'd highly recommend talking to a doctor about your concerns and maybe getting a referral to a dietitian if it is seen to be beneficial. (For example, not sure why sugar would be different from starches your body converts into sugar.)

    Under 25 g of added sugar is, IMO, trivially easy, but I don't think that's what you are asking about.

    That said, yeah, under 25 g of total sugar is definitely possible; I think many of our local keto-ers do it. To me, though, it seems contradictory to the goal of an overall healthful diet if you are someone who enjoys eating lots of vegetables, fruits, some sweet potatoes, dairy, etc.
  • harraquelxo
    harraquelxo Posts: 18 Member
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    I eat less than 20grams of net Carbs a day. (Total Carbs -Dietary fiber) it's hard at first but it becomes easy after a day or so. You can have some bad symptoms at first because your body is changing its metabolism, but its worth it.

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