Diet linked to cancer risk in women

We know what poor eating habits will do to your waistline.

But for women, new research shows how the high-carb lifestyle can harm you in other ways: These foods, and foods that rank high on the glycemic index, can increase the risk of breast cancer.

Swedish researchers analyzed data collected on 61,433 women who answered food questionnaires in the late 1980s, and examined their medical histories over the following 17 years.

The researchers found women who ate a lot of carbs, women who ate foods high on the glycemic index (these are often the worst of the carbs), and women with a high overall glycemic load (which measures both the glycemic value of food and the portion size) all faced an increased risk for breast cancer.

The women who ate high-index foods had a 44 percent greater risk of breast cancer than women who ate foods at the lower end of the index. Women who had high glycemic loads had an 81 percent greater risk of developing tumors, and women who had the highest amounts of carbohydrates in their diets had a 34 percent increased risk.

The study was published in July in the International Journal of Cancer.

Another study out in July in the online version of that same journal found that postmenopausal women with elevated insulin levels also have an increased risk of breast cancer.

Researchers in this study found that women in the upper third of insulin levels had twice the risk of breast cancer as women in the lower third of insulin levels.

Not only that, but the researchers found that even lean postmenopausal women with high insulin levels had a higher risk of breast cancer – suggesting that even if you are at or near your ideal weight, you still need to be careful about what you put into your body.

And that means avoiding food high on the glycemic index, as well as those bad carbs that make up the bulk of the modern American diet.

These high-carb processed foods aren’t just responsible for an increased risk of cancer, but many of the health problems that we as a nation are facing, from obesity and diabetes to heart disease and stroke.

There are lots of reasons to eat right, but avoiding this illness epidemic and reducing your risk for breast cancer are pretty good ones. It doesn’t take much work, involves no pricey drugs, and will almost certainly save you money at the supermarket.