Carbohydrates increase hormone-negative breast cancer risk

A diet heavy in simple carbohydrates—sugar, white bread, cakes and cookies—can put a woman at risk of hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer, according to research in the American Journal of Nutrition’s May 2008 issue. French researchers studied the diets of 62,739 postmenopausal women from 1993 to 2002; 1812 of these women eventually were diagnosed with breast cancer. The researchers note that, because simple carbs are rapidly absorbed by the body, they elevate insulin levels, which can be the link to hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer. According the Centers for Disease Control, complex carbohydrates—whole grains, seeds, vegetables and most fruits—are more slowly digested and less likely to increase insulin levels.