High carbohydrate diets linked with re-occurrence of colon cancer

A study by Harvard University has shown that diets based on refined and starchy carbohydrate increase the progression of colon cancer.
Colon cancer affects the large intestine and is one of the more common forms of cancer. Research has previously linked type 2 diabetes with an increased risk of colorectal cancer.
The study, carried out by Harvard University in the United States, involved over 1,000 patients with stage III of colon cancer and tracked the patients’ carbohydrate intakes as well as the glycemic index and glycemic load of their diets. The study tracked these value during the study as well as 6 months after the trial.
The results showed that patients with the highest dietary intakes of carbohydrate had an 80 per cent higher risk of having a re-occurrence of colon cancer or of dying than patients which had the lowest intakes of carbohydrate. Patients who were overweight, with a high body mass index (BMI) had even greater risks of death and colon cancer re-occurrence.
The researchers believe that as higher intakes of carbohydrate require more insulin, the increased levels of insulin being produced by the body may encourage the growth of cancer cells.