Running away from cancer
What Doctors Don't Tell You Australia/NZ|April/May 2023
High-intensity aerobic exercise is stopping cancers from spreading, heralding a new approach that could make cancer less of a killer
Bryan Hubbard
Running away from cancer

Cancer cells are different. Instead of feeding on oxygen, as healthy cells do, they thrive on glucose-the sugars in the blood that come from carbohydrates and this also produces lactate, an acid that allows the cancer to spread.

It's not news. The process was first observed by German physicist Otto Warburg in 1924 and was then almost completely ignored by the cancer industry, other than by a few maverick outliers who advocated a zero-carb keto diet as part of cancer therapy.

With the discovery of the DNA structure in 1953, cancer theory took a different route and focused on genetic mutations. It was a false trail, and today researchers acknowledge that energy metabolism is the key to understanding cancer's genesis and spread. It's estimated that 80 percent of cancers are the result of the "Warburg effect, as Warburg's discoveries were labeled.

The one new insight into Warburg's work is that it is the mitochondriathe powerhouses of cells that convert sugar (carbs), fats and proteins into energy that are damaged and so become over-reliant on glucose for their rapid growth. Oncologists recognize the phenomenon and routinely use PET (positron emission tomography) scans to seek out areas of the body that are consuming excessive amounts of glucose and therefore to detect cancer.

If the Warburg effect is right, there are other clues in the observation that suggest new ways of treating cancer and, more importantly, preventing it. A team of Israeli researchers has done just that by discovering that aerobic exercise reduces the risk of metastatic cancerthe cancers that spread and are almost always lethal-by 72 percent."

Feed me sugar

This story is from the April/May 2023 edition of What Doctors Don't Tell You Australia/NZ.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the April/May 2023 edition of What Doctors Don't Tell You Australia/NZ.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM WHAT DOCTORS DON'T TELL YOU AUSTRALIA/NZView All
Metalhead
What Doctors Don't Tell You Australia/NZ

Metalhead

Could toxic heavy metals be making you ill? Here's how to spot the signs and symptoms, says Dr Leigh Erin Connealy, and your action plan for effective detox

time-read
6 mins  |
Aug/Sep 2024
Good bones
What Doctors Don't Tell You Australia/NZ

Good bones

There's a lot of fearmongering when it comes to the risk of fractures in older women, says Marcelle Pick. Here's what you need to know and how to look after your bones naturally

time-read
6 mins  |
Aug/Sep 2024
Supplements in the spotlight
What Doctors Don't Tell You Australia/NZ

Supplements in the spotlight

Confused about supplements? Dr Jenny Goodman has the lowdown on why we need them, how to choose a top-quality product and the ingredients to avoid

time-read
10+ mins  |
Aug/Sep 2024
Essentially balanced
What Doctors Don't Tell You Australia/NZ

Essentially balanced

These essential oils can help you soothe stress, balance your hormones and feel like your best self again

time-read
7 mins  |
Aug/Sep 2024
An integrative approach to breast cancer
What Doctors Don't Tell You Australia/NZ

An integrative approach to breast cancer

Blending the best of integrative medicine with the best of conventional medicine gives the greatest chance of healing breast cancer, says Dr Leigh Erin Connealy

time-read
9 mins  |
Aug/Sep 2024
THE NEEDLE'S EDGE
What Doctors Don't Tell You Australia/NZ

THE NEEDLE'S EDGE

An intriguing new theory says it's not what's in the jabs but how the needles are inserted that explains the rampant and varied Covid vaccine damage. Celeste McGovern investigates the Bolus Theory

time-read
10+ mins  |
Aug/Sep 2024
How sugar causes cancer
What Doctors Don't Tell You Australia/NZ

How sugar causes cancer

Amajor breakthrough in cancer research has discovered that sugar-usually from fast food-switches off our cancer-fighting genes

time-read
5 mins  |
Aug/Sep 2024
The illusion of the magician
What Doctors Don't Tell You Australia/NZ

The illusion of the magician

Howrelative risk makes a drug seem effective when it’s not

time-read
3 mins  |
Aug/Sep 2023
Of pesticides and PMS
What Doctors Don't Tell You Australia/NZ

Of pesticides and PMS

Detoxing from a hormone-disrupting herbicide, along with getting the right nutrition, was the answer to a patient’s debilitating PMS, says Dr Jenny Goodman

time-read
4 mins  |
Aug/Sep 2023
Not just a phase
What Doctors Don't Tell You Australia/NZ

Not just a phase

Is your workout working against your hormones? Debra Atkinson explains why and how to exercise with your hormonal cycle for the best results

time-read
5 mins  |
Aug/Sep 2023