Sodas are high in sugar. Credit: Marlith, Wikimedia Commons.
According to some leading experts like Al Sears, MD, a specialist in integrative medicine, carbohydrates can cause cancer. Is this sensationalism or scientific fact? Let's take a look at the evidence.
On one end of the spectrum, the US government by way of the USDA has been recommending that nearly everyone should eat 5 to 11 servings of grains a day. (Recently, the USDA redesigned the food pyramid and many nutritionists are calling it nonsensical and useless. Registered dietician Lynn Smith called the pyramid's approach to discretionary calories "like intellectual gobbledygook.")
On the other hand, we have reliable scientific studies reinforcing Dr. Sears statement on dietary carbohydrates, "Sugar feeds cancer cells and makes them grow like wildfire. Cancer loves sugar. And carbs turn into sugar in your body." Cancer in fact uses sugar (glucose) from dietary carbohydrates to grow, but does this mean carbohydrates cause cancer? It appears more likely an excess of dietary carbohydrates supports cancer growth but may not actually cause cancer itself.The jury is still out on the latter.
A little known fact among laymen is that everybody develops cancer cells throughout our lifetime. But if you have a normal and healthy immune system these renegade cells are rounded up and destroyed. If your immune system is stressed or damaged, or if tumor suppressor genes becomes damaged, cancer cells have an opportunity to grow unchecked. Combining a less than healthy immune system with a high carbohydrate diet is probably a recipe for disaster as far as cancer risks.
If you have a family or personal history of cancer or an immune deficiency, it's wise to limit refined carbohydrates. Foods to avoid include high glycemic grains like corn, wheat products, white rice, starches like potatoes, high glycemic fruits (read Rice, Potato & Banana increase the blood glucose level more than sugar) processed and refined foods, sugar and high fructose corn syrup sweetened drinks, table sugar and added sugars like dextrose and sucralose.
Sugar and cancer have a very close connection. In fact, sugar feeds cancer. Learn how to protect yourself.
References:
Dietary carbohydrates and breast cancer risks (PDF)
Carbohydrates and the Risk of Breast Cancer among Mexican Women Isabelle Romieu1, Eduardo Lazcano-Ponce1, Luisa Maria Sanchez-Zamorano1, Walter Willett2 and Mauricio Hernandez-Avila1 - Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention Vol. 13, 1283-1289, August 2004
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Comments
To clear up a few points, corn and potatoes are not refined carbohydrates, they are whole foods (if you're eating them in their natural state). And sucralose isn't sugar at all but Splenda. But given all that, it's still best to avoid the "white carbs."
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