Highly Processed Carbs Impact Cancer Risk

Highly processed carbs are seen as the leading cause of weight gain as well as many other health problems.  A recent study shows that cutting out processed carbohydrates can decrease the risk of cancer. With several researchers led by Ph.D. student and author, Nour Makarem, from New York University suggested that the consumption of sugary drinks as well as eating highly processed foods can increase the chances of developing prostate cancer. The researchers also noted that eating healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and legumes can also reduce the risk of developing breast cancer by at least two-thirds. The findings of the study were presented at the American Society for Nutrition Scientific Session and Annual Meeting in 2016 in San Diego, California.

 

Why Are Highly Processed Carbs Linked to Cancer?

The research involved collection of data from 1970 and participants provided detailed information about the food that they eat. The researchers categorized the food sources of the participants according to their glycemic load (GL) and glycemic index (GI). The GI is used to measure the rise of blood sugar levels after eating a particular type of food while the GL measures the amount and quality of carbohydrates present in a given food item. But how does carbohydrate link to cancer?

Results show that there is a strong link between cancer and the consumption of highly processed carbohydrates. Consumption of food high in GL has 88% more risk of developing prostate cancer. This is a stark contrast to the consumption of low GI foods that have 67% lower risk of developing breast cancer.

People are at a higher danger of developing cancer when they consume highly processed foods like burgers, pizza, deli-meat sandwiches, sugary drinks and so on. In fact, an average American consumes a lot of sugar from the beverages that they drink. Thus, they are at risk of developing diabetes, obesity, and other inflammatory diseases. Since cancer is a type of inflammatory disease, there is also a higher chance for people to get cancer if they continue to eat unhealthy carbs. Moreover, new evidence suggests that cancer cells feed on sugar and what do you think highly processed carbs have in them? You got it! It’s sugar.

 

Healthy Carbohydrates

The researchers have noticed that people, particularly women, whose total calorie intake is made up of high amounts of healthy carbohydrates have a lowered risk for breast cancer. This is the reason why a lot of medical health experts promote the consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

What matters is for people to consume the right type of carbohydrate-rich foods. Moreover, it is also important to avoid consuming added sugars in beverages. The thing is you need to learn how to feed your body with the right foods to prevent many health problems.

Let food be your solution to fixing your health. Instead of eating a lot of highly processed carbs, it is crucial that you choose your food wisely so that you can avoid health problems and live an overall healthy life. So the next time you are tempted to drink soda, remember you are increasing your chances for cancer.

Inspired by medicalnewstoday.com