CUERNAVACA, Mexico, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Carb-conscious dieters may be lowering their risk of breast cancer while they shed pounds, Mexican and U.S. researchers have found.
In a study of 1,866 women in Mexico, those who derived 57 or more percent of their total energy intake from carbohydrates incurred a risk of breast cancer 2.2 times higher than women with more balanced diets. Dietary patterns in Mexico are characterized by higher consumption of carbohydrates and lower intake of fat and animal protein than those in the United States and other western countries.
The researchers from the Instituto de Salud Pública and the Harvard School of Public Health said the association between carbohydrates and breast cancer may be related to elevated levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in the blood.
Of all the carbohydrate compounds, sucrose and fructose demonstrated the strongest association with breast cancer risk in the study, the researchers said.
Eating sweets and starches causes a rapid rise in the body's blood sugar levels, which in turn cues the production of insulin and triggers a biological process that ultimately can influence the beginnings of cancer by causing cells to proliferate.
