It Turns Out Sugar Might Actually Be Linked To Getting Breast Cancer

If you have a massive sweet tooth, you might want to work on getting it under control.

According to a new study conducted out of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, large amounts of fructose (found in table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup) might increase the risk of breast cancer tumors developing in the body.

On top of that, sugar may encourage the cancer to spread to other parts of the body, like the lungs.

While this study was conducted on mice and more research needs to be done before any real conclusions can be reached, it's no secret most of us would benefit from eating a lot less sugar.

Americans overall eat way too much sugar. While most Americans get 10 percent of their daily calories from added sugar, one in 10 Americans gets a whopping 25 percent of his or her daily calories from it.

Added sugar is empty calories (meaning it has no nutritional value), and it can lead to a number of health problems, like heart disease.

According to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, consuming too much sugar increases the risk of dying from heart disease even if you aren't overweight.

I'm not suggesting you subsist on kale and almonds for the rest of your life, but just think twice the next time you reach for that second doughnut.

Citations: Sugars in Western diets increase risk for breast cancer tumors and metastasis (Science Daily), Eating too much added sugar increases the risk of dying with heart disease (Harvard Medical School), Added Sugar Intake and Cardiovascular Diseases Mortality Among US Adults (JAMA Internal Medicine)