Fructose is a form of sugar often added to processed foods, including soft drinks, candies, cookies, salad dressings and cereal bars.
It's also a main ingredient in high-fructose corn syrup, a food additive used profusely in packaged and prepared foods.
Over consumption of fructose has been linked to a long list of health problems in the past, including obesity and diabetes.
To investigate, researchers took pancreatic tumours from patients and grew the cancerous cells in the laboratory. They then added glucose to one set of cells and fructose to another.
They found that fructose, but not glucose, triggered the growth of cancer cells by activating key cellular pathways that drives cancer cell division.
Although this study was done in pancreatic cancer, the researchers noted that the results might not be unique to that type of cancer.
Studies have also made the link between fructose and over-eating. Research has found that fructose influences appetite hormones by delaying feelings of fullness, prompting overeating.
The findings for this latest study were published in the journal Cancer Research.
All research on this web site is the property of Leslie Beck Nutrition Consulting Inc. and is protected by copyright. Keep in mind that research on these matters continues daily and is subject to change. The information presented is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. It is intended to provide ongoing support of your healthy lifestyle practices.