White Bread And Cancer

[Waterbabe_Helena]

From today's Daily Mail (top-selling British daily newspaper)

================================================== ====

White bread increases cancer risk

Eating lots of white bread raises the risk of a cancer that kills thousands of Britons every year, according to new research.

Those who eat five slices a day are almost twice as likely to develop the most common form of kidney cancer compared to those who have one and a half slices.

Scientists put the cause down to refined cereals triggering a surge in blood sugar and insulin levels, which is thought to fuel cancer cell growth.

People should particularly cut down on white bread, which causes the biggest rise in blood glucose levels, and opt for wholemeal varieties instead.

The study also adds to the mounting evidence of the health benefits of following a low GI diet.

This involves avoiding processed and refined foods, such as white bread which have a high Glycaemic Index.

Whole grain foods are classed as having a low GI value as they lead to slower release of sugar into the blood stream.

The new study published in the International Journal of Cancer set out to investigate potential triggers of Renal Cell Carcinoma.

It accounts for more than 80 per cent of the 6,000 cases of kidney cancer diagnosed each year in the UK and claims 3,400 lives annually.

The researchers from the Institute of Pharmacological Research in Milan, Italy studied more than 2300 Italians - 767 who had the disease and 1534 who did not - and asked them detailed information about their diet in the previous two years.

The scientists discovered a clear link between eating lots of bread and the risk of getting the cancer.

The study did not specify what type of bread people ate.

However, overall those in the group that ate the most bread - equivalent to 35 slices weekly or five a day - were almost twice as likely to develop the cancer as those who had just 11 slices a week- around one and a half a day.

In contrast, those who ate a high proportion of poultry, meat and vegetables had a lower risk of getting the kidney cancer.

[13_jane]

Re: White Bread And Cancer

Thanks Helena, thats really interesting

[ttdriver]

Re: White Bread And Cancer

Actually its the SUGAR that feeds cancer cells. White bread and any and all other products that contain sugar should be avoided at all costs.

Betty

[ozzie gel]

Re: White Bread And Cancer

Odd isn't it, it's like we KNOW the link between poor diet, lack of exercise and chronic diseases, but we still get sucked in........

Is it that white bread is comfort food? You know, what your Grandma fed you at her knee or something?

My Grandma really believed white bread was a treat, especially shop bought white bread. (She had been a shearer's cook, and trust me, she hand made everything everyday: milked the 4 cows, separated the cream, made butter, made pasties and fed the workers morning tea, then lunch , then afternoon tea , then dinner. Whew.....)

I don't know about you folks but maybe bread features large in various cultural heritages????

[sadie147]

Re: White Bread And Cancer

I don't know about you folks but maybe bread features large in various cultural heritages????

I have Greek, Macedonian and Italian friends that would never ever dream of cutting out bread with their meals. I know with those nationalities bread is a big part of everday meals.

My family is Irish and we have never had bread as part of any meal. The only time we would eat bread is as toast or a sandwich, which I think made it much easier for me to cut it out. it's never been a huge part of family/Holiday meals.


I agree with Betty it's the sugar in the bread that contributes...

[Hudson]

Re: White Bread And Cancer

My guess is that 95% of the population has zero idea of this kind of research. Now this is not that great of a study, but the idea that white bread is dangerous is totally foreign to most folks.

[Chris]

Re: White Bread And Cancer

Yeah, it's all the refined simple carbs that turn into sugar that's the problem. Seems funny, really, to be blaming white bread, per se, as the culprit when that sugar comes from so many other sources. Just look at the amount of sodas, pastries, fried potatoes, and candies that the average American consumes, daily.

Our bodies did not evolve to consume simple sugar, so it's little wonder that we're seeing an epidemic of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, immune system disorders, and, according to the above article, cancer.

[Miss Phode]

Re: White Bread And Cancer

No Irish Soda Bread? I used to hang out with my Irish friend growing up, and we'd go to his nanny's house to have "taty-farl" (Potato Bread)

We call that potato bread/scones 'fadge' I think it has alot of different nicknames depending on where you are from. THough I do love it and did eat it, it wasn't really a staple, probably had fadge with my breakfast once a month (fried in bacon grease mmmm). Though we did have soda bread, baps and fadge, it was never part of my families everyday meals though, just something you had once in a while. Soda bread was my fav, yum!

[sadie147]

Re: White Bread And Cancer

Hey that's WEIRD? why did my reply show as you?

[Miss Phode]

Re: White Bread And Cancer

Hey that's WEIRD? why did my reply show as you?

Silly Sadie, abusing your privleges. hee hee

[vJosie]

Re: White Bread And Cancer

Can you give us a link so we can share with others?

[julirama723]

Re: White Bread And Cancer

So I'm going to get on my soapbox here...

Statistically, the wealthier you are, the less often you eat white bread. White bread is typically a lower-income food--it's cheap and feeds a family...or so I learned in poverty training. I don't think eating bread neccessarily has to do with heritage, at least in the US--it has to do more with socio-economic standing. Face it--if you've got 20$ for a week to feed a family, are you going to plonk down $3 for the healthy-but-expensive whole grain bread with 12 slices, or $1 for the 26 slice white super long loaf? Are you going to buy salad greens, or canned peas?

This is not saying that all people who eat white bread are poor, or that wealthy people have healthy eating habits. Nor is it saying that income bracket determines how "smart" you are.

What's sad is that the junk food industry is targeting those who are poor--processed foods are cheap and they stay fresh for YEARS (thank you preservatives ha ha), so you're not in danger of having rotten food by the time you get around to eating it. The industry targets the group of people who NEED veggies, fruits, protein more than anything because of poor nourishment and lack of vitamins and minerals. Lots of times food stamps/EBT pays for only certain things, usually those that are processed and not fresh.

It's just one of those sad things that I see everyday. All these sugar highs and crashes affect attention span, learning, and health. My students are constantly eating frozen pizzas, sugary cereals, and other high-carb, highly processed foods, because that's what the parents can afford or that's what EBT pays for. It's either that, or go hungry. What would you choose?

I consider myself very lucky to be able to follow atkins.

[Chris]

Re: White Bread And Cancer

Julie, I agree -- and don't. I think it's been recognized for many years that the fact that the store brand of white bread, a bag of potatoes, and rice being the least expensive things on the shelves in the supermarkets contributes to the higher rates of obeisity among the lower socio-economic groups. Fresh, and even frozen, fruits and vegetables cost much more, and nearly all meats -- even those intended to go between two slices of that white bread -- are expensive. Still, though, I don't agree that the sugar sweetened cereals, the preservative filled poptarts, the cookies and the candy eaten by those same groups are all that inexpensive. So, I think the lack of education about proper nutrition is a factor, as well.

Now, as to bread and ethnic groups, I come from French immigrants and, even though we were not poor, I can assure you that bread had to be served at every meal -- my Father would, to this day, wonder what the person who cooked was thinking if it were omitted. Of course, it wasn't Wonder Bread, but it was bread!

[ttdriver]

Re: White Bread And Cancer

So I'm going to get on my soapbox here...

Statistically, the wealthier you are, the less often you eat white bread. White bread is typically a lower-income food--it's cheap and feeds a family...or so I learned in poverty training. I don't think eating bread neccessarily has to do with heritage, at least in the US--it has to do more with socio-economic standing. Face it--if you've got 20$ for a week to feed a family, are you going to plonk down $3 for the healthy-but-expensive whole grain bread with 12 slices, or $1 for the 26 slice white super long loaf? Are you going to buy salad greens, or canned peas?

This is not saying that all people who eat white bread are poor, or that wealthy people have healthy eating habits. Nor is it saying that income bracket determines how "smart" you are.

What's sad is that the junk food industry is targeting those who are poor--processed foods are cheap and they stay fresh for YEARS (thank you preservatives ha ha), so you're not in danger of having rotten food by the time you get around to eating it. The industry targets the group of people who NEED veggies, fruits, protein more than anything because of poor nourishment and lack of vitamins and minerals. Lots of times food stamps/EBT pays for only certain things, usually those that are processed and not fresh.

It's just one of those sad things that I see everyday. All these sugar highs and crashes affect attention span, learning, and health. My students are constantly eating frozen pizzas, sugary cereals, and other high-carb, highly processed foods, because that's what the parents can afford or that's what EBT pays for. It's either that, or go hungry. What would you choose?

I consider myself very lucky to be able to follow atkins.

Amen. Unfortunately, that is very true.

Betty

[julirama723]

Re: White Bread And Cancer

It's just one of those sad things that I see everyday. All these sugar highs and crashes affect attention span, learning, and health. My students are constantly eating frozen pizzas, sugary cereals, and other high-carb, highly processed foods, because that's what the parents can afford or that's what EBT pays for. It's either that, or go hungry. What would you choose?

Chris, I agree that pop tarts and lucky charms aren't cheap, but if your food stamps pay for that, then yes it's cheap for you, and why not "buy" it?

That's what's so screwed up about this system--it perpetuates bad food choices and misinformed thinking "Oh this is breakfast cereal, it must be healthy even though it contains 10 cups of sugar." I agree that consumers need to be educated, and we do try to do that in school. Kids are taught what's healthy, to eat veggies, etc. but then they go home and mom (if they're lucky) makes mac'n'cheese with a side of potato chips. Too bad there isn't a way to educate the parents more successfully.

Bread, per se was never a big thing in my family, but my mom always ate wheat bread, rye bread, pumpernickel, etc. I think it does have to do with her heritage (she's Polish and Romanian) as she didn't eat white bread as a kid--her grandmothers always made bread. As a result, I have always been a wheat bread lover. My dad's family was not into bread, but all other starchy things, potatoes especially, and around the holidays, pies, chicken noodle soup, cookies, and cake. Nothing particularly ethnic (he's Scottish and Irish) but I think it was just a "comfort" food thing.

Either way, I've gained a love of both bread and other starches, and that's what landed me here in the first place. )