Breast Cancer|High Carb Diet Could Increase Breast Cancer Risk for Some

Breast cancer risk reduction is important to women’s overall health. A recent online article highlighted a study that suggested a high carb diet could contribute to the risk of breast cancer for some women. According to the article older women who consume excessive amounts of starchy and sweet carbohydrates could be at increased risk of a less commonly known but more fatal form of breast cancer according to a study out of Europe. The results from the study of nearly 335,000 European women was published in the American Journal of Nutrition do not conclusively prove that sweets, French fries and white bread add to the risk of breast cancer, but it does raise the interest over a potential factor in a puzzling form of breast cancer. Specifically, this particular study found an association between “high glycemic load” and breast cancers that are void of receptors for the female sex hormone estrogen that is commonly referred to as “ER negative “breast cancers.

Breast Cancer and High Carb Food Dangers

A high glycemic load basically refers to a diet that heavily consists of foods that create a rapid elevation in blood sugar. These include processed foods that are made from white flour, potatoes, and sweets. The study, conducted by Isabelle Romieu of the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, looked at nearly 335,000 women who took part in a long-running European study on nutrition factors and cancer risk. Overall there was no association between breast cancer risk and the glycemic load as it was estimated based on diet questionnaires the women completed at the beginning of the study. But, when the researchers focused on postmenopausal women the results changed. Among women in the top 20 percent for glycemic load, there were 158 cases of breast cancer, versus 11 cases in the bottom 20 percent – a 36 percent higher risk.

Breast Cancer Health and Nutrition

Most breast cancer studies continue to show a link between nutrition and increased risk of breast cancer. Dr. Seify encourages patients to maintain healthy diet, stable weight, and participate in regular exercise. This does not only apply to breast cancer reconstruction patients, but also cosmetic surgery patients. Patient should be aware that the best way to ensure lifelong results after cosmetic surgery is to be proactive concerning health, diet, and weight. It is important that patients understand body contouring procedures including liposuction and abdominoplasty are not” permanent” and a license for patients to be careless concerning their diet and exercise. It is possible to gain weight and change the contour of your body after surgery. Dr. Seify encourages patients to approach plastic surgery expectations realistically for the best overall plastic surgery experience.