Ensure and Boost May Be Harmful To Cancer Patients

Pamela79

Ensure and Boost, the two most popular liquid nutritional supplements recommended to cancer patients, may worsen their situation due to certain ingredients they contain.

Ensure and Boost are the two most recommended liquid nutritional supplements to cancer patients by oncologists and nutritionists. However, due to certain ingredients they contain, more and more consumers and medical professionals are questioning their effects on health. Certain cancer patients claim they experience signs of minor discomfort within days of drinking Boost or Ensure. For instance, Rafael Delvix, co-founder of CancerEffects.com and a nasopharyngeal cancer survivor, says "I cannot drink either of these nutritional drinks without experiencing certain allergic problems, regardless of the flavor."

Ingredients those critics mostly red flag include refined sugar, corn syrup solids, canola oil and corn oil, artificial flavor, hydrolyzed soy protein, Soy Protein Isolate.

Corn Syrup Solids

Corn syrup solid is used in a wide variety of drinks here in the United States, including Ensure, Boost, baby formulas, and others. To produce the solid corn syrup, producers dehydrate the liquid to 10 percent water. Corn syrup is totally glucose; to obtain high fructose corn syrup, fructose, another form of refined sugar, must be added. The problem is that it is demonstrated in many studies a link between these types of sugar and diabetes as well as obesity. Nobody can deny obesity can lead to a number of serious diseases, including cancers.

Dr. Mark Hyman, an American physician, scholar and New York Times best-selling author, says "Sugar in any form causes obesity and disease when consumed in pharmacological doses of 140 pounds per person per year." This estimate is for healthy people. Fragile individuals, especially cancer patients who are already struggling with weakened immune and adverse reactions of the conventional treatment may experience the effects of corn syrup more rapidly and severely.

Dr. Mark Hyman also states in an article entitled "Why you should never eat high fructose corn syrup", "high fructose corn syrup is the real driver of the current epidemic of heart attacks, strokes, cancer, dementia, and of course, Type 2 diabetes."

Corn Oil

It is estimated that up to 95% of corn produced in the US are GMO, which is suspected as carcinogenic. Therefore, the oil is also genetically modified. Even in other countries such as Brazil, corn oil tends to be produced from GMO seeds. Although rejected by many big organizations, several studies have demonstrated that rats fed with GMOs have a very high risk of developing many serious illnesses, including malignant tumors. In a recent study by the Seralini's group, Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with GMO corn for two years, eighty of the rodents developed cancer. Dr. Robin Bernhoft has also confirmed the study by stating "most of the female rats got breast cancer. The male rats got inter-abdominal cancer. There were problems with the kidneys, the liver and the pituitary", referring to the same study.

Sugar

It's known to all that refined sugar is harmful to our body. In fact, cancerous cells love sugar. In case of people who are fighting cancer, any form of food that increases or facilitates reproduction of cancerous cells should be considered as an enemy to their recovery. Refined sugar not helps cancer cells proliferate but also weakens the immune system, making the patient more vulnerable to infection and metastases.In the case of cancer survivors who have already have to fight against the side effects of the therapies and the anarchic reproduction of the tumor cells, sugar should be avoided, some health professionals advise.

Many studies have revealed excessive levels of insulin and glucose (hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia) in the blood can lead to not only diabetes mellitus but also malignant tumor of the pancreas. Some scientists believe that frequent consumption of refined sugar or sugar foods may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by inducing frequent postprandial hyperglycemia, increasing insulin demand, and decreasing insulin sensitivity.

In a four year study at the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection in the Netherlands, the researchers compared 111 cancer patients of biliary tract with 480 health controls. The research has shown that the risk of cancer with regular intake of sugar was more than doubled for patients. In addition, an epidemiological study conducted in 21 modern countries, including Japan and other countries in Europe and North America, found that sugar consumption greatly contribute to the increase rates of breast cancer, especially among elderly women.

However, these two liquid nutritional supplements, Ensure and Boost, remain very useful for cancer patients or very seriously ill people who are unable to eat solid foods in order to to get enough nutrients their body needs. The problem is associated with certain ingredients they contain.

References:

1.Larsson SC, Bergkvist L, Wolk A. "Consumption of sugar and sugar-sweetened foods and the risk of pancreatic cancer in a prospective study."Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Nov;84(5):1171-6 – PMID- 17093171 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE][pubmed/17093171]

2.Leena Hilakivi‐Clarke, Juan E. Andrade, and William Helferich:National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine"Is Soy Consumption Good or Bad for the Breast?"

3.Joseph Mercola. "This "Miracle Health Food" Has Been Linked to Brain Damage and Breast Cancer." Mercola.com 18 Sept 2010. (Accessed July 15, 2015) http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/09/18/soy-can-damage-your-health.aspx

4.Moerman CJ, et al. Dietary sugar intake in the aetiology of biliary tract cancer. Int J Epidemiol 1993 Apr;22(2):207-14.

5.Seeley S. Diet and breast cancer: the possible connection with sugar consumption. Med Hypotheses 1983 Jul;11(3):319-27.

6.http://www.mercola.com/article/sugar/sugar_cancer.htm

7.http://drhyman.com/blog/2011/05/13/5-reasons-high-fructose-corn-syrup-will-kill-you/

8.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/high-fructose-corn-syrup_b_4256220.html

9.Brown MD, Hart CA, Gazi E, Bagley S, Clarke NW. "Promotion of prostatic metastatic migration towards human bone marrow stoma by Omega 6 and its inhibition by Omega 3 PUFAs." PMID: 16523199 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] PMCID: PMC2361380

10.Genetically Modified Foods: Are They Safe? Originally aired on 10/17/2012

11.The Glutamate and Cancer Link: http://www.newsmax.com/Health/Dr-Blaylock/article/...

MelissaDallas

I had malnutrition & cachexia because I couldn't eat. Developing diabetes from corn syrup was way down the list of concerns. It was a matter of getting some calories & protein in me in as small a volume as possible

luvmygoats

Rather a disingenuous article. Don't think anyone suggested cancer patients exist on Boost or Ensure which the article finally got to in the final 2 sentences. Chemotherapy patients are generally not into worrying about obesity despite the wonderful opinion of Dr. Hyman. Other patients might use them for a short term supplement.

Elderly in generally consume more sugar because the perception of sweetness is one of the last to degrade - a fact the researcher neglected to take into account. Definition of elderly for rates of breast cancer?

Yes in the ideal world someone would be handy to make nice nutritious fresh smoothies at the drop of a hat. I would suppose the researcher has some "better" liquid supplement?

Perhaps a more perceptive title would have been "Not the Best Choice for Cancer Patients" rather than putting even more fear into an already panicked population.

labelle

The biggest problem with GMO corn and soybeans (and almost all grown in the US are GMOs) is they are modified to withstand being sprayed with copious amounts of Roundup and so they are. Those wanting to avoid chemicals and who buy organic produce should be aware the corn and soybean products they are consuming are laced with the stuff. GMOs to withstand drought or whatever may not be bad, but.............

Hopefully someone is working on a product high in calories and protein that doesn't contain sugar and those other nasty things most believe are not good for cancer patients. The title luvmygoats suggested would certainly be apt, but since some people seem to think Ensure and Boost are actually good for them (maybe because doctors do recommend them), the article does contain some important info that might alert us to the fact that these are far from ideal products-the first step (maybe) in someone coming up with something better.

Momine

I am sure those products are quite nasty, but GMO corn suspected of being carcinogenic? By what possible mechanism would GMO make something carcinogenic?

abigail48

by just modifying the genome the stuff becomes carcenogenic. there've been studies with rats as I recall

Momine

Abigail, no, that is simply not true (about GMOs being carcinogenic). Besides all crops that are deliberately grown for food have been genetically modified by cross breeding, gene splicing or other genetic modification.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3615871/

abigail48

yes perhaps it is as she said the excessive pesticide residuen that gmo's allow. there have been studies of rats fed gmo corn & soy & a good percentage of them more that statistically allowed get cancer. but you neednt worry, europe doesn't allow such foods there. I concider foods from europe as good as organic

abigail48

right the first time. ghorganics.com. scottish study. skimmed it. coliflower mosaic virus introduced to these foods one problem among several to many

abigail48

amy's drive through fast food in ca, organic, vegetarian, cheap, treat employees well. wildly popular

MelissaDallas

"Sugar (or corn syrup) is evil and bad for cancer" is a vast oversimplification of carbohydrate metabolism.

I have not seen one reliable source that makes me fear for my life to be eating GMO.

Vanderbilt's study on soy showed that women who consumed soy actually had better outcomes, albeit natural soy and not isolate.

Momine

Abigail, there are problems with GMOs, the pesticide issue being one. However there is no reason whatsoever why genetic modification in and of itself would be carcinogenic.

labelle

I don't believe all GMO foods are in and of themselves harmful, but grains that have been modified so they can be safely (that is the chemicals don't kill the grain) sprayed with large amounts of chemicals are suspect-not due to the genetic modification but due to the excessive use of chemicals. Almost all soy and corn now grown in the US is genetically modified to be "Roundup Ready" and so are sprayed with tons of Monsanto's finest. Some growers of wheat are spraying it after harvesting to hasten the drying process (wheat has not been modified to be Roundup ready so it is not applied during the growing stage). If I were to eat grains, which I don't since I follow a Paleo diet, I would definitely look for organics.

Genetically modified to withstand drought or yield more is a different ballgame IMO and I don't worry about that....much. Because with a BC diagnosis I pretty much worry about everything, LOL.

Sometimes I'm pretty sure this thing is going to drive me nuts. I have my first post surgery mammo tomorrow and am a nervous wreck about it Ugh!

abigail48

skimmed some of the articles on califlower mosaic virus in gmo's. the consensis was unforseen consequenses & should be removed from all gmo foods. that it was in all of themwhen the article was posted

labelle

Thanks abigail, now I can worry about that too, LOL. Actually, this time of year my veggies come from our CSA and they grow organic, mostly heirloom varieties, so I'm good for now.

dlb823

I think the original article is right on. Boost and Ensure are liquid versions of the typically overly processed SAD diet to me. What place do corn syrup solids have in a healthful diet, whether in a "nutrition" drink or elsewhere? If for some reason one of these drinks was the only way to get a few calories or liquid into someone terribly ill, I suppose they're better than starvation. But to promote them as healthful is ridiculous when you could throw a few natural fruits and veggies and some protein powder (preferably not soy if cancer is hormone driven) in a blender and probably come up with something considerably more healthful. JMO...

Momine

dlb, there you go with your common sense again

MelissaDallas

Well, since I had a 20 pound tumor in my belly plus they were drawing 5 liters of ascites off every couple of days there wasn't any room for those natural fruits and veggies. There really wasn't room for eight ounces of anything.

abigail48

juice those fruits & vegetables. I juiced 3 apples the other day first time in a long time. so delicious & caloies galore. saved the pulp & froze it as it was just apples, plan to cook it for morning cereal perhaps or just a snack

abigail48

gary null in his first book the egg project & many times since that all fruits & vegetables contain all the amino acids. in differing amounts, the book suggest combining certain ones to optimize the proteins

Momine

Melissa, that sounds absolutely awful. I am so sorry, and point taken.

chocomousse

I was a vegetarian and presented as anemic and malnourished wnen I was admitted to the hospital for a life threatening respiratory infection at the end of 2013. Osmolite helped save my life, it gave me the calories and nutrients my body desperately needed to gain weight and fight infection. These high calorie, nutrient packed drinks are given because they do save the lives of compromised, underweight, undernourished people who cannot ingest orally, have medical anorexia or intractable nausea which makes it impossible to eat or smell food without vomiting. The organic vegetable soups and spinach and fruit smoothies I was drinking hadn't done much in the way of keeping me from getting sick or becoming anemic. When I was discharged, I weighed more than I have ever weighed in my life, my weight was finally in the normal range. I still drink these types of drinks to get the calories and nutrients my diet isn't providing. Some people can subsist on certain types of diets while others can't. It depends on ones genetics and physiology. While natural and organic is good, a diet limited to fruits and veggies may benefit some and harm others. I fall into the latter category. If I were to take this guys advice, I'd end up back where I started so no thanks.

abigail48

I'm sure you can do it if you do it right. the dalai lama tried to be vegetarian at one point & couldn't fo it. he sub stituted sugar and refined carbs I think for the meat protein. juicing, powders where the water is evaporated & only the phyto nutrients are left. I no longer do it well, but today, town trip must remember to get beets & juice them. red prepared juices, olives etc no longer enough to counter act the bleeding I've been experiencing with the lesion breaking up

Birdysmom

"Orgain" ready to drink protien drinks really help me. You pay for the better quality and healthier ingredients, but it's worth it for our compromised bodies. The fake crap in those mainstream drinks gives me headaches and gastric distress!

kittysister

I was a big believer in Boost and Ensure and even stood up for them here on one of these boards a few months ago when they were discussed. However, the last Boost I drank (high protein chocolate) made me really sick. I was in the bathroom most of the day! Talk about digestive issues. My drink wasn't expired or anything and had been kept refrigerated. This is just my opinion, of course .. but after reading the label (with a magnifying glass) all of the sugar, soy and seeing so many names of other ingredients I couldn't even pronounce, I just don't plan on drinking them anymore.