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Energy drinks linked to rise in colorectal and blood cancer

thenightly.com.au

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Re: Energy drinks linked to rise in colorectal and blood cancer

#3
>The research team discovered that leukaemia cells feed on taurine through a process called glycolysis, in which cells break down sugar to produce energy.

>This process helps cancer cells multiply more rapidly, worsening the disease.

If I’m reading this right, it doesn’t cause cancer, but if you already have cancer it may make it spread faster.

Re: Energy drinks linked to rise in colorectal and blood cancer

#4
post #2

It appears that the trial is still ongoing: https://www.cancer.gov/research/participate/clinical-trials-... The theory is that the taurine added to the drinks is feeding gut bacteria that then produce hydrogen sulfide that damages the intestinal lining.

Not all gut bacteria cause this, but the bad ones sure, will break sulfur-aminos into badness.

Re: Energy drinks linked to rise in colorectal and blood cancer

#5

>The research team discovered that leukaemia cells feed on taurine through a process called glycolysis, in which cells break down sugar to produce energy. >This process helps cancer cells multiply more rapidly, worsening the disease. If I’m reading this right, it doesn’t cause cancer, but if you already have cancer it may make it spread faster.

For leukaemia. Another study is investigating the development of colon cancer.

Re: Energy drinks linked to rise in colorectal and blood cancer

#6
From the title, I read this expecting another lame observational study which I would probably distrust on the basis that it doesn't show anything causal. It's not that! Rather, if I understand it, they (1) took mice and introduced leukemia cells and (2) took human leukemia cell lines. In both cases, they found biomarkers related to leukemia growth.

(I welcome corrections to that understanding from experts!)

Personally, this seems far from convincing evidence that taurine in energy drinks is actually causing cancer. But it is suggestive and it seems like one might reasonably avoid taurine out of an "abundance of caution".

Re: Energy drinks linked to rise in colorectal and blood cancer

#7
post #5

>The research team discovered that leukaemia cells feed on taurine through a process called glycolysis, in which cells break down sugar to produce energy. >This process helps cancer cells multiply more rapidly, worsening the disease. If I’m reading this right, it doesn’t cause cancer, but if you already have cancer it may make it spread faster.

For leukaemia. Another study is investigating the development of colon cancer.

And that study isn’t done yet. So we don’t know if it’s linked to colon cancer or not.

2/10 headline at best.

Re: Energy drinks linked to rise in colorectal and blood cancer

#9
post #2

It appears that the trial is still ongoing: https://www.cancer.gov/research/participate/clinical-trials-... The theory is that the taurine added to the drinks is feeding gut bacteria that then produce hydrogen sulfide that damages the intestinal lining.

There was a pop-sci article around a decade ago, still within the "fight free radicals by buying our anti-oxidant products" craze, that posited that breathing flatulence could also help fight cancer because hydrogen sulfide damaged cancer cells.

I didn't think it passed the smell then, either.

Found it: https://www.cnet.com/science/how-smelling-farts-could-save-y...

Re: Energy drinks linked to rise in colorectal and blood cancer

#10
post #6

From the title, I read this expecting another lame observational study which I would probably distrust on the basis that it doesn't show anything causal. It's not that! Rather, if I understand it, they (1) took mice and introduced leukemia cells and (2) took human leukemia cell lines. In both cases, they found biomarkers related to leukemia growth. (I welcome corrections to that understanding from experts!) Personall…

But does it show taurine is specifically worse than other amino acids?

Otherwise it's just showing that cancer can feed on protein which is ... unsurprising?

Might as well say "tofu causes cancer" or "meat causes cancer" or "milk causes cancer"

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