This study shows that foods with high glycemic index values -- that is, foods that more quickly raise blood sugar levels in the human body -- actually accelerate the growth of cancer cells and tumors in the human body. Researchers involved with the study propose that the correlation between the consumption of refined carbohydrates and breast cancer could be related to elevated levels of insulin and the fact that many breast cancer tumors are encouraged and supported by high levels of insulin in the body.
To anyone who has read some of the books about sugar, refined carbohydrates, low carb dieting, or even my own book, called Low carb Diet Warning, none of this should be a surprise. We in the holistic nutrition world have long known that the consumption of processed carbohydrates actually causes cancer, and not just breast cancer, either. It actually promotes many forms of cancer, including colon cancer. Thankfully, new scientific evidence is now appearing that supports these notions.
But many people in the general public still do not know that consuming refined carbohydrates causes cancer, and thus they continue to drink soft drinks containing high-fructose corn syrup, they continue to eat breakfast cereals loaded with sugars and corn syrup, and they continue to eat large amounts of white flour in products like pancakes, breads, pastries, cookies, and crackers, oblivious to the idea that they are actually giving themselves cancer.
Once again, we see that preventing cancer comes down to dietary choice. One of the easiest things a person can do to prevent cancer, based on this research, is to avoid all processed carbohydrates. That means eliminating from your diet refined white flour, refined white sugar, milled grains, and ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup. These ingredients are all man-made or artificially processed ingredients that are not normally found in nature. You don't find refined white sugar growing in the sugar cane fields. You don't see white flour growing on wheat grass stalks in the field. Instead, you see whole grains growing in nature, and it is these whole grains that should be consumed by human beings if they wish to attain a high degree of health.
This research also indicates why low carb dieters and people following the Atkins diet may be doing themselves a huge favor in terms of disease prevention. Avoiding processed carbohydrates reduces your risk of being diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, many low carb dieters, as you may know, end up consuming other cancer-causing ingredients that are present in many low carb foods. Those ingredients can include sodium nitrite, monosodium glutamate, and artificial chemical sweeteners such as aspartame, also known as NutraSweet.
So, the real story here is to avoid processed carbohydrates as much as you can. At the same time, avoid chemical additives that are found in processed foods, especially artificial sweeteners and chemical taste enhancers. The foods that you should be consuming to support outstanding human health are the same ones we've been talking about here for years, and those are natural foods found in nature, such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, and healthy oils.