Alcohol consumption has long been associated with increased risks for the development of certain kinds of cancer. A new study, by a group of Chinese researchers associated with the Zhejiang University School of Medicine, has confirmed the relationship between alcohol and one of the most common cause of cancer fatalities worldwide (and the third most common kind contracted by U.S. adults): colorectal cancer.
But it has also revealed something else that might increase chances of developing this deadly disease: white bread.
The study, appearing in mid-November in the journal Nutrients and republished by the National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine, followed some 118,210 participants, who self-reported their food and beverage intakes, over a mean follow-up period of 12.8 years. The researchers assessed the association between 139 different foods and nutrients and the risk of developing CRC.
They found that, in addition to alcohol, “high intake of white bread was associated with increased risk of both colon and rectal cancer.”
Because circumstances other than diet can influence susceptibility to cancer, the reporting model was adjusted to take into account numerous additional factors, such as age, sex, education, family history, diabetes, body mass index, and daily calorie intake, among others.
These factors aside, the study stresses that “the incidence and impact of CRC can be significantly reduced by implementing primary prevention strategies, such as adopting a healthy lifestyle and diet, avoiding risk factors, and early detection through screening.” If you’re not ready to give up carbs, the good news is that the authors also note that consumption of whole grains (such as might be found in multi-grain breads) “are inversely associated with CRC morbidity and mortality.”
It might be noted that processed meats have been implicated in other studies as a possible risk factor for CRC, suggesting that ordering a ham sandwich on white may not be a good idea. (These are the most common cancers in America, and their survival rates.)