The Key Points
According to preclinical studies, fructose could influence the spread of certain cancerous cells.
Researchers found that the fructose in fruit can affect cancer via multiple pathways. These include changes to the environment of the tumour and the way it is processed by the liver.
The experts recommend that you limit added sugar and beverages sweetened with sugar, rather than avoid naturally occurring fructose found in fruit and vegetables.
It’s found in fruits, vegetables and honey. High-fructose Corn Syrup, which is commonly used in packaged food and soda, contains fructose as well. New research raises questions as to what the familiar sweetener could do for cancer.
Scientists found in a study that was published by Nature Aging that the fructose released from chemotherapy-damaged cells helped nearby ovarian tumor cells to break off and spread. Researchers say that the findings do not mean eating fruit or fructose causes cancer. However, they may offer new insights into how nutrition influences tumor behavior.
It’s not the first time that a link between fructose consumption and tumor growth has been suggested. In a 2026 review, fructose was linked to the metabolic syndrome. In a 2024 Nature study, fructose increased the growth of cancerous tumors such as melanoma and breast. In a 2021 Cancer Research study, fructose was found to promote prostate cancer progression and growth in animal and laboratory models.
Research on fructose, cancer and progression
Cancer is a disease that affects nearly 40% of Americans at one point or another. This highlights the need for research on factors which may impact cancer progression and development.
Researchers analyzed human blood and tumor samples, as well as ovarian carcinoma cells and mouse models. Preclinical results are not yet confirmed on humans. However, they do raise some questions regarding how certain nutrients and diets may influence cancer progression.
Fruit Juice or Fruit? What the latest fructose research says about diabetes risk
This new study builds upon previous research that showed that cancer cells that have been exposed to chemotherapy may enter a state called senescence, where they cease to divide but still release substances which can contribute to the progression of cancer. Platinum-based chemotherapy, for example, is often used to treat cancers of the ovary. It can kill cancer cells but can also spread and return.
In this study, researchers found that some chemotherapy-damaged, senescent cancer cells (sometimes called “zombie” cells) produce fructose, a simple sugar. This fructose appears to alter nearby cancer cell behavior, allowing them to spread and break free to other areas of the body. Researchers found in mouse models that fructose intake was linked to cancer spreading, even when chemotherapy wasn’t used.
Where can I find fructose?
It is also known as monosaccharide. The sugar is commonly known as “fruit” sugar because it’s found in many foods and fruits, including honey, sugarbeets and vegetables such as zucchini and asparagus.
Some foods are also enriched with fructose, which is usually added in the form high-fructose syrup. Most sodas, baked goods and candy are high in fructose.
What fructose can do to cancer cell growth
Fructose makes cancer cells more adhesive. This allows them to separate from the mass they are in and move to another part of the body. Katherine M. Aird PhD, coauthor of the study, Professor, and Co-leader at The Wistar Institute’s Molecular and Cellular oncogenesis Program, explains the mechanism: cancer cells lose cholesterol when they process fructose.
She says that cholesterol is like glue, which helps the cancer cells to stick together. When that “glue” is gone, cells are more likely to break free from the tumor and spread.
Researchers are studying this everyday vegetable for its potential role in cancer prevention
The effects of dietary fructose on tumors may be different. Ana Gomes PhD is a study co-author and vice chairman of Moffitt Cancer Center’s Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis Department. She says that the liver converts fructose to fats which tumors use for growth. Gomes says that the emerging view is that fructose can be used as more than just a sugar to fuel cancer growth. It may also function within the tumor’s environment and influence cancer biology.
The findings indicate that fructose can influence cancer progression via multiple pathways, rather than just directly affecting cancer cells. Tracy Crane PhD, RDN is the director of lifestyle, prevention and digital health, at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. She says that nutrients can affect cancer by complex interactions between tumors, livers, immune systems, microbiomes, and other tissues. “Fructose does not act as an on/off switch.”
What to look for on the nutrition label?
It’s not necessary to look for “fructose”, the sugar added to a product, in an ingredient list. You can do most of your work by reading the Nutrition Facts Label.
You can find the amount of sugar added in each serving by checking “Added Sugars”.
Check the Daily Value (%). According to the FDA, sugar added per serving that is less than 5% of Daily Value and more than 20% is considered high.
Remember the serving size. You’ll also get twice as much sugar added if you consume or drink 2 servings.
Do not confuse added and total sugars. Sugars added to foods and sugars naturally occurring in food, like those found in milk or fruit, are included in total sugars.
What does this mean?
Experts say that the findings do not mean you should eliminate fructose in your diet. Crane says that the statement “Sugar causes cancer” is a simplification which can cause unnecessary anxiety. Healthy cells also use glucose (the primary sugar in blood) for energy. She says that eliminating dietary sugar won’t selectively starve tumors. We do not know from human studies that removing all sugar will cause a tumour to shrink, or stop it recurring.
Ketan Thanksi, MD is a colorectal surgery at MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute in Long Beach Medical Center, California. He agrees. He says that we are not yet at the point where all fructose should be eliminated from people’s diets. Even fruits and vegetables that contain natural fructose are nutritious.
Researchers say that this everyday nonalcoholic drink could be linked to serious liver risk.
Thanki notes that the biggest concern with added sugars is high-fructose syrup, which can be found in sugary beverages and processed foods. These sources provide large quantities of fructose rapidly and without fibre, which could affect the way your body processes it.
Crane said the results reinforce current guidance that limits sugar-sweetened drinks and highly-processed foods, such as high-fructose-corn syrup. Thanki says that the main takeaway for now is to avoid consuming foods with high levels of sugar and to not eliminate natural, nutritious foods.
Review by
Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN LD, CLEC Lauren has more than 22 year’s experience as a registered dietitian, and is a three-time author.

Two numbers should be held side-by-side. The first is a small amount of liquid, just a few drops, that you see in front of your face. It’s gone within minutes. One is the small pour of dark liquid in front of you, a few gulps, gone within minutes.
It is not as simple as it seems.
You drink a tiny amount of liquid. According to a widely quoted estimate, the water that it took for them to reach there isn’t. Let’s look at where this big number is coming from and why it doesn’t happen in your kitchen.
The small number is the first thing to consider. Chapagain & Hoekstra stated that “a standard cup of espresso is 125ml”. Other definitions go higher up to an 8-ounce US mug which is around 240ml.
The big number is now. The big number comes from Ashok Chapagain’s 2003 report, and Arjen Hekstra’s 2007 peer-reviewed study. In their original report, they stated that: “We discovered that to drink one cup of standard coffee in The Netherlands we require approximately 140 litres water. This is by far the majority of the amount of water used for the growth of the coffee plant.”
It was the same number in both peer-reviewed versions. Ecological Economics reported by the authors that in The Netherlands, a cup of tea is about 35 litres, but a coffee costs 140 litres. The authors found that because their tea portion was double the size of their coffee, they needed eight times more water to make coffee per unit volume.
The authors used a ratio to make their scale more vivid: “We need over 1100 drops for one drop of espresso.”
The model is based on Dutch consumption of coffee and the trade that took place in the 1990s. The Dutch data were deemed to be representative for the world average by the authors, and could therefore be used more widely.
The majority of the money is spent in the field, and not the kitchen
You probably think of the kettle when you imagine “water in the coffee”. The brewing water and the water that is used at the coffee mill to wash the beans and pulp them barely make a difference. The plant is responsible for almost the whole footprint.
What is the lopsidedness? Paul Hicks, after reviewing the data, noted that the majority of the coffee water footprint comes from the water consumed to grow the plant. According to the original study, water for wet processing was only 0.34% as much water that had been used to cultivate coffee. The vast majority of the water used to grow coffee has been collected in a foreign field, and much of that water is rain.
This last detail will help you to read the number accurately.
The figure tells you what it does, and not.
Waters that act very differently are lumped together in 140 litres. The Water-Footprint Methodology distinguishes between “green water” (rainwater that is stored in the soil for use by plants), “bluewater”, surface or groundwater, and “graywater”, a measure of water pollution. Critics object when they are combined into one headline figure.
Hicks expressed this criticism directly. He said that the subtlety of the message is lost when it’s stated simply, “It takes 140 litres to make one cup of coffee.” He argues that groundwater that is pumped out of an aquifer and rainwater that is absorbed by a plant is different from groundwater that is evaporating into the air.
He believes that the focus should be on the ground. Hicks says that even a small amount of processing can have a local impact: For people who live downstream from coffee mills or farms, the 0.34% may be their main source of drinking water. He argues that it is important to know where the products come from. Two cups of similar size can have very different water pressures in real life depending on rainfall, pollution and groundwater.
How should we keep the number then? Do not use the number as a decision on whether or not to drink coffee. This information cannot be derived from a litre counter without a map. It does a good job of redirecting attention. It’s never been the 125-millilitres of water we drink, nor even the boiling kettle. The season and weather conditions that affected a coffee plant in Brazil, Colombia or El Salvador will determine whether there was enough water.

In the Gulf Coast, Florida, Louisiana and other states have detected more than 20 cases this year of rare bacteria that “eats flesh”.
Officials from the state health department have confirmed 15 Vibrio cases in Florida, and ten in Louisiana. Seven deaths were also reported in Florida and Louisiana, with two occurring in Florida.
Genevieve Gallagher from Florida told ABC News that she lost part of her leg last year after an infection caused her to go boating on Pensacola Bay. She warns others about the dangers of this infection.
I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemies. Please don’t go into the water if you have just shaved off your legs. Gallagher advised not to go into the water if your finger is cut. Your life does not deserve it. “It is not worth losing your leg, or to be in such pain and far from family.”
What you should know about Vibrio Infections, their symptoms, treatment and prevention.
What is Vibrio bacteria?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Vibrio is a bacteria found in coastal waters.
This bacteria is found in brackish and saltwater waters, and it’s more prevalent in summer between May and Oktober.
According to the CDC, Vibrio bacteria are responsible for causing 80,000 illnesses in the U.S. each year.
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the most common Vibrio species found in the U.S., followed by Vibrio alginolyticus.
ABC News reported that Dr. Peter Chin Hong, an infectious disease specialist from the University of California San Francisco, said people can typically become infected by Vibrio.
Chin-Hong explained that the two most common ways to get the infection are by wading in water, where the bacteria thrives, and contacting the bacteria through an open cut, or eating raw or undercooked food, especially oysters.
What are vibriosis symptoms and signs?
According to the CDC, symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus include nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps. If it enters your bloodstream, you may also experience symptoms such as fever, chills and low blood pressure, or blistering lesions on the skin.
According to the CDC, if the bacteria infect an open wound, a person may experience redness, discomfort, swelling, heat, fever, and discoloration.
The CDC states that many people who are infected by Vibrio vulnificus may become severely ill, and require intensive care. They could even need amputation of limbs. One in five of those who contract the disease will die, often within a few days.
What treatment options are available for vibriosis?
Antibiotics aren’t recommended for patients who have mild infections. The CDC suggests drinking lots of fluids if there is diarrhea or vomiting to avoid dehydration.
According to the CDC, antibiotics can be used for severe or long-lasting Vibrio infection.
Vibriosis-related wound infections can cause necrotizing faciitis. This is when the skin around an opened wound begins to die. The treatment involves the use of antibiotics as well as surgery to remove infected or dead tissue. Sometimes, necrotizing fasciitis leads to the amputation of limbs.
Vibriosis: How to avoid infection
Chin-Hong explained that “what we are thinking about is awareness of brackish and open wounds, especially if there’s a susceptibility factor to infection or if the person has risk factors.”
The CDC advises people to avoid eating raw oysters and other seafood. They also recommend that raw food or juices from raw seafood not be used in other foods.
Health experts recommend that you wash your hands after handling raw shellfish with soap and warm water and wear gloves if possible.
The CDC also recommends that anyone with an open sore should avoid saltwater and brackish waters.
Chin-Hong advised that if possible “cover these wounds with waterproof bandsages.” If you have an open wound that comes into contact with brackish or salt water at warm temperatures, clean it thoroughly with soap.

Exercises done in bed are gentle on joints, and do not require any balance.
It’s crucial to keep active as you age. In your exercise routine, you should focus on building strong hips. This will keep you flexible, coordinated, and balanced while decreasing your injury risk. Karly Mendez PhD, Senior Performance Specialist at Memorial Hermann Rockets Sports Medicine Institute shared five exercises that you can perform in your bed. The addition of this exercise to your daily routine can restore hip strength quicker than a gym session after age 60.
Bed exercises are great for strengthening the hips because they use a low load resistance, and have a solid surface. Mendez explains that gym machines force you into fixed planes, while bed exercises require you to use more muscles and your core stability. Bed exercises are different from gym workouts because they don’t have artificial supports, target weaker muscles (muscles must be reactivated more by neuromuscular stimulation), and provide a natural motion over a fixated movement.
Exercises that are done in bed are better for older adults, as they are easier to modify, do not require any balance and take a lot of pressure off the joints. Here are six exercises to include in your daily routine.
Glute Bridges
Mendez explains that “Glute Bridges help to stabilize and maintain balance, for example when walking.”
Start by lying on your back, with knees bent and feet at hip width apart.
Put your hands at your side with the palms down.
You can lift your hips by pressing through your heels until you form a line straight from your head to your heels.
Hold your top buttocks for two seconds while you squeeze.
Return your hips to their starting position.
The Side-Lying Leglift
Mendez says that side-lying leg lifts help strengthen the hip abductors which, in turn, keeps your pelvis stable while standing or walking.
Start by lying down on your side, with your feet stacked and your hands placed at your hips.
Lift your top leg upward.
Please hold it for a second.
Lower slowly.
Repeat the process on the opposite side.
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The Supine Marching
Mendez says that “supine hip marching mimics walking mechanics, and it strengthens the hips and core which are great for stabilization.”
Lay flat on your stomach.
Alternate slowly between raising each leg up towards your chest in a slow-moving marching motion.
Clamshell
Mendez explains that “Clamshells target the rotators specifically (which keeps the pelvis stabilized).
Lay on your back with the knees bent and stacked.
As you raise your knee to the top, keep your feet close together.
Lower.
Do not rotate your lower back.
Heel Slides
Mendez claims that heel slides can improve the range of motion at the pelvis and knees.
Begin by laying flat with your legs resting on the bed.
Press your lower back gently into the mattress by placing your hands at your side.
Then, extend the heel out.
Glute Squeezes
Mendez explains that “this exercise activates the glutes which are the biggest extensor muscle (in the lower part of the body) without using any joints.”

Need to Know
After swimming in the pool with a wound, a Florida mother contracted flesh-eating bacteria and almost lost her life
Two recent fatalities in Florida are linked to Vibrio infections, and open wounds near water can be a risk.
Swimming with recent cuts or tattoos is not recommended by experts as bacteria could cause serious infections, even amputations.
Women who have lost the “largest part of their leg” due to exposure to flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus are urging others to be cautious before swimming.
Genevieve Gallagher contracted an infection after swimming in a pool with a wound on her leg while having a family boat trip in July 2025. In August 2026, the Pensacola mom revealed to Fox 35 that she was “taken back for an immediate surgery where my body started to shut down”. Every organ of my body started to fail. I became septic. “I was intubated six days and almost lost my own life.”
According to the Florida Department of Health, there have been 15 vibrio cases in Florida in this year. A Marion County resident aged between 60-64 and a Brevard County residents between 10-14 years of age have died from the bacteria.
Vibrio is found in coastal water, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is most common to get sick after eating oysters or raw shellfish. This happens because bacteria “concentrates” in the shellfish. It can also cause infection in swimmers with an open sore, a recent tattoo, or piercing.
This bacteria may cause symptoms similar to flu, such as fever, nausea, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. It’s nicknamed “flesh eating bacteria” due to the fact that it kills skin surrounding the wound where it enters. Only the removal of skin can be done, which often leads to an amputation.
Gallagher recalled, “I woke up one morning and I noticed that a large part of my lower leg had disappeared.”
If you scratched any cuts, such as mosquito bites or open wounds on your skin you will have scratches. She told Fox 35, “Don’t shave before going in the water. “Just anything. You can have it. You can get it. “Do not risk your life.”
She says that a beach day is not worth it.
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Gallagher said to KKTV that August 2026, “This will completely change your life.” It’s incredible how much trauma I have experienced. “I’ve lost so many parts of my leg, below the kneecap.