'Bad' Carbs, Sugary Drinks Heightens Risk Of Cancer

A new study conducted by the American Society for Nutrition reveals that eating a lot of processed carbohydrates and sugary drinks augment the risk of certain cancers such as prostate cancer and breast cancer. Processed carbohydrates in sweet food and snacks as well as sugary drinks like juices and soda may not directly 'cause' cancer but the connection between those types of food and the increased risk in prostate and breast cancer are hard to ignore.

The study involved 3,200 U.S. adults wherein the researchers tracked their cancer rates and diet habits for over 20 years. At that time, 565 individuals had cancer. The results showed that women who consumed healthy carbs such as fruit, vegetables, legumes and whole grains were about 67 percent would less likely to have breast cancer, compared to women who ate refined carbs such as white potatoes, white bread and baked goods.

Meanwhile, men who often drank soda or sugary juices were over three times would likely have prostate cancer. On the other hand, the drinking of sweet drinks does not prove that it would lead to the said disease, according to Nour Makarem, the lead author of the study and a Ph.D. candidate in nutrition at New York University. She also emphasized that drinking sweet beverages would have a greater risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Health reports that the researchers also discovered that eating "processed lunch foods" like burgers, deli meats and pizza would have a high risk for men to have prostate cancer especially if they would eat this food four or more times in a week. Men who ate this food once a week would less likely to develop a prostate cancer.

Generally, the health experts advise the people to limit consuming processed carbohydrate food and sugary drinks. They recommend eating more fiber-rich whole grains, legumes, "good" unsaturated fats, vegetables and fruits. Makarem said that it is easy to make a change in diet. She concluded that the choice of consuming "high-quality" food is healthier than the processed food.