White bread, corn flakes increase lung cancer risk

Consumption of foods with a high glycemic index such as white bread, bagels, corn flakes and puffed rice may be associated with an increased risk of developing lung cancer, a new study has warned.

The study by scientists from the University of Texas is the largest to investigate potential links between glycemic index (GI) and lung cancer.

The findings also unveil for the first time that GI was more significantly associated with lung cancer risk in particular subgroups, such as never-smokers and those diagnosed with the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) subtype of lung cancer, researchers said.

In US, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women, but is by far the leading cause of cancer mortality. Accumulating evidence suggests that dietary factors may modulate lung cancer risk, researchers said.

Diets high in fruits and vegetables may decrease risk, while increased consumption of red meat, saturated fats and dairy products have been shown to increase lung cancer risk, they said. Glycemic index is a measure of the quality of dietary carbohydrates, defined by how quickly blood sugar levels are raised following a meal. Examples of low GI foods include whole-wheat or pumpernickel bread, rolled or steel-cut oatmeal and pasta. Previous studies have showed associations between GI and glycemic load (GL), a related measure of carbohydrate quantity, and risk of numerous other cancers.