You may have seen it in the news, but new research from the University of Texas, published in the journal Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, found that people who ate high-glycemic carbs had a 49% higher risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer. That is huge. This is actually the largest study that has been done that investigates the link between the types of carbs you eat and lung disease. In the past, lung cancer has been linked to smoking, but this research shows that maintaining a healthy diet with low-glycemic carbs may also lower your risk of cancer.
This study was conducted on 1,905 recently diagnosed lung cancer patients and 2,413 people who were healthy. The subjects were divided based on the quality of the carbs they were consuming (glycemic index) and the quantity of the carbs they were consuming (glycemic load).They discovered a link between a higher glycemic carbohydrates quality and quantity and lung cancer. What this comes down to is that even if you aren’t on a low-carb diet, the quality and quantity of your carbs is what is most important for good health. Ditch the processed, refined carbohydrates like cookies, cake, candy, soda, potato chips, anything with white sugar or high sugar content , and stick with what we recommend on Atkins—high-quality (and naturally low glycemic) high fiber carbohydrates that come from fresh vegetables, low glycemic fruits, nuts, avocado, legumes, and whole grains. When it comes to preventing disease, there is nothing redeeming about high glycemic impact carbs and sugar.
