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 With
science, consumers and the media all abuzz about the high-carb/low-fat
diet craze, 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.
Although much research has measured the effectiveness of high-carb
diets in terms of weight loss, this study was unusual in that it
looked at how sugar and starch intake affects one’s cancer
risk. (A study performed last year noted a higher risk of breast
cancer in younger women who ate lots of sweets.) How do carbs increase
one’s risk of cancer? 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 versus those
whose intake was at 52 percent or under of their
diets. 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, with some 132 cases reported
for every 100,000 women. But, because the U.S. population is much
older than Mexico, the risk of cancer domestically is higher.
Cancer
Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention August 2004;Vol. 13,
1283-1289
Clovis
News & Journal August 15, 2004
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