Carb Intake Could Lead to Lung Cancer, Study Suggests

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Who would have ever thought that eating bread could be as dangerous as smoking cigarettes? Hard to believe but recent studies have shown that carbohydrates may increase the risk of lung cancer.

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center lead study author Dr. Stephanie Melkonian pointed out a 49% increase in risk of acquiring lung cancer for people with high glycemic index (GI) compared to those with lower GI levels.

At risk for this would be non-smokers, which make up 12 percent of those who are suffering from lung cancer.

The glycemic index measures how food that contains carbohydrates raises blood sugar levels, as well as the quality of dietary carbohydrates quickly raises blood sugar levels after food is consumed.

Foods that have high GI include white bread, cereals, bagels, puffed rice and several processed grain-based foods.

Theoretically, a high GI diet activates higher blood glucose and insulin levels, which in turn increases the production of hormones called Insulin-like Growth Factors or IGF’s.    

IGF’s, according to research, has been linked with increasing risks for the development of lung cancer cells.

Dr. Melkonian, however, pointed out that a related measure of carbohydrate quantity called glycemic load did not have any significant links to the risks for lung cancer.

This suggests that it is not the quantity, but the quality of the carbohydrates that triggers the risk for lung cancer.

Cutting down on foods with high GI could lower the risk and advise that a good alternative for this would be to consume food with low GI.

Examples of high GI foods are those made with white refined flour like pretzels, bagels, corn flakes, rice pasta, macaroni and cheese mixes, popcorn, saltine crackers, etc.

Food with low GI are breads made from 100% stone ground  whole wheat, oatmeal, oat bran, muesli, whole meal pasta, barley, sweet potato, corn, yam, peas, legumes, etc. 

The American Cancer Society (ACS) claims that lunch cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women, which also comprises 14% of all cancer types.

For 2016, the ACS estimates that new lung cancer cases to be about 224,390 – 117,920 in men and 106,470 in women.

Expected lung cancer mortality is estimated to be at 158,080 – 85,920 in men and 72,160 in women.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women. 20% of cancer deaths are due to lung cancer.

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