When people think about diet and cancer, they often connect it to diseases like liver or pancreatic cancer.
Red meat, alcohol, and processed foods have been widely studied for their effects on cancer risk. But what about lung cancer?
A new study from the University of Florida Health and the University of Kentucky’s Markey Cancer Center suggests that diet may play a bigger role in lung cancer than previously thought.
Published in Nature Metabolism, the study explored how a common storage molecule in the body—glycogen—could fuel lung cancer growth. Glycogen is made from glucose, a simple sugar, and is stored in the liver and muscles as an energy reserve.
However, researchers found that in lung cancer, glycogen acts like fuel for tumor growth, allowing cancer cells to grow faster and more aggressively.
The Link Between Diet and Lung Cancer
For years, researchers Dr. Ramon Sun and Dr. Matthew Gentry have studied a rare neurological disorder called Lafora disease, which is caused by excess glycogen buildup in brain cells. Their work on Lafora led them to investigate glycogen’s role in other diseases, including cancer.
Their research showed that lung adenocarcinoma—the most common type of lung cancer—also involves high levels of glycogen accumulation. In a way, glycogen serves as a “super fuel” for cancer, allowing tumors to thrive.
To test this further, researchers fed mice a high-fat, high-fructose Western diet. This diet, which is common in many countries, is known for its high sugar and unhealthy fat content. They found that mice on this diet had higher glycogen levels in their blood and, as a result, faster-growing lung tumors. When glycogen levels were lowered, tumor growth slowed down.
What This Means for Cancer Prevention
While this is one of the first studies to link lung cancer to diet, the idea that nutrition affects cancer risk is well established. Dr. Sun emphasized that public health efforts should address dietary habits in the same way that anti-smoking campaigns have helped reduce lung cancer cases. By raising awareness and promoting healthier diets, society could potentially lower lung cancer rates.
Dr. Gentry pointed out that several drugs already exist to lower glycogen levels in the body. These drugs were originally developed to treat Lafora disease but may have potential for cancer treatment as well.
Practical Steps for Prevention
The study’s findings reinforce the idea that healthy eating habits can be a powerful tool in preventing disease. While smoking remains the biggest risk factor for lung cancer, diet could be another important factor to consider.
Dr. Gentry’s advice is simple:
- Eat a balanced diet rich in whole foods, fruits, and vegetables.
- Stay active to help regulate metabolism and reduce fat accumulation.
- Limit alcohol and processed foods, which contribute to excess sugar and fat intake.
These strategies are not just good for cancer prevention but also for overall long-term health. While more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between diet and lung cancer, this study highlights how everyday food choices could impact disease risk in ways we are only beginning to uncover.
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The research findings can be found in Nature Metabolism.
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