Weight Loss Tip FreeEating Carbs May Cause Cancer RiskCarbs from sugar and starch may cause cancer There’s new evidence that shows women who eat lots of carbohydrates were more than twice as likely to suffer from breast cancer than those who limited them.
Researchers compared the diets of 475 women who were newly diagnosed with breast cancer with some 1,400 healthy women in Mexico City. Women filled out a lengthy food questionnaire widely used in nutritional studies and were placed in one of four categories based on the total percentage of their calories that came from carbohydrates. Scientists believe carbs may raise blood sugar rapidly, which creates a surge of insulin to be secreted, causing cancer cells to divide and leading to higher estrogen levels. The women whose carb intake was highest (62 percent or more) were about 2.2 times more likely to succumb to breast cancer. In fact, the study found those who ate more fruit, vegetables and whole grains lessen their risk of breast cancer.
Some experts dispute the applicability of the results because the common carbohydrates Mexican women eat are derived from corn, including tortillas, soft drinks and bread. Nevertheless, U.S. breast cancer rates are among the highest worldwide.
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