Hi All, I’ve been a member here for many years, but haven’t posted much lately. I’m posing my question here, not because I have any scientific articles to refer to, but because I wonder if any of you do.
My husband is heading into his 8th bout with cancer, and his 6th (probable) primary type (biopsy will be next week, so we can’t say for sure till then). This is getting quite tiresome, but it is what it is, and we will deal with it.
I have noticed lately that his taste, particularly for sugar, has changed. He has always had a sweet tooth, and makes mild jokes about my low carb diet (as I do about his affinity for sweet things). But lately it seems that he needs the sweets even more. For instance, we go out for breakfast, and he has lately based his choice of restaurant on whether they offer a good sweet option. For the most part, I am happy that he has an appetite, and is gaining weight (as he lost nearly 50 lbs earlier in this journey), but still, I find it troublesome. Recently I baked a coffee cake, that I used to do fairly often before I learned about low carb; same recipe, same amount of sugar, but I will most likely have to compost most of it because it isn’t sweet enough for him, and I won’t eat it.
I’m just wondering if any of you, who are more into the science part of this, have seen anything about cancer causing cravings like this? I know certain cancers thrive on sugar; is it possible that a “need” for sugar can be instigated through the cancer process?
I don’t think I can do anything about it anyway; it is unlikely to the point of impossible to think that he would change his eating habits no matter what I (or you) say. But I am curious.
Of course, he is also 74 years old, and sweets have been important to him since childhood. It just seems more pronounced now. Or maybe my low carb ways just make it seem so for me. The coffee cake though really brought it to the fore for me.
I thank you for any insight, or comments you might have.