Can Carbs Give You Cancer?

Lung cancer causes the most cancer deaths in the United States, upwards of 150,000 people are expected to die this year from the disease. Most were or are smokers, but 15% of lung cancer patients have never smoked. A new study from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas suggests that eating a diet high in carbs, high glycemic carbs like bagels, white breads and other starchy foods could up your risk for lung cancer.

Out of 1905 cancer patients at MD Anderson, the ones that had never smoked were more twice as likely to develop lung cancer if their diet included lots of starchy processed foods. It's believed that the sugar spike these foods cause can mess with the cells in the body, leading to insulin resistance and other poor cellular function.