Are your favorite comfort foods the new tobacco?

It looks like processed carbs are becoming the new cigarettes.

I’ve told you plenty before about how a diet high in carbs and processed sugars can put you on the fast track to diabetes, sex problems, and even memory loss.

But now researchers from the MD Anderson Cancer Center have an urgent warning we all need to hear.

Because they’ve found that loading up on certain carbs could send your risk for a deadly type of cancer right through the roof. And making some simple swaps to your diet just won’t have you feeling better – it could make the difference between life and death.

Quality, not quantity

The glycemic index – those are the numbers that new diabetics learn to count really fast.

It’s a way to measure how quickly a food raises your blood sugar. The higher the number, the bigger an impact on your sugar readings. A slice of pizza, for example, scores a high 80, while a serving of broccoli would be around 15.

But while you would think a diet in high GI foods would be a problem if you’re concerned about diabetes, it looks like a steady menu of these foods is also one that can up your risk of cancer.

And up it big time.

The University of Texas MD Anderson researchers found that people who commonly consume foods that tip the GI scale had a gigantic 49 percent greater risk of developing lung cancer than people who regularly ate lower GI carbs.

That’s right – lung cancer.

And, believe it or not, that’s not even the worst news. It turns out that people who ate the most foods high on the index and had never smoked a day in their life were twice as likely to get lung cancer compared to the low-index eaters — even if those people smoked!

It seems that a high-GI diet is so dangerous, not even smoking can top it.

That’s frightening, but not terribly surprising. We know that a high-carb diet can cause inflammation that’s been linked to cancer – plus, sugars like fructose are like rocket fuel for cancer cells.

Now, believe me, I get it. If you’ve ever been on a diet that required figuring the GI of foods, it isn’t as easy as it sounds. We know that not all carbs are created equal.

And as the lead researcher in this study said, it’s the “quality, instead of quantity” of the carbs eaten that may be what dictates the lung cancer risk.

For example, if we just went by the GI number, veggies such as parsnips score higher than a candy bar, and whole wheat bread, bananas and carrots are higher than white sugar.

But while the GI scale is far from perfect, it can give us a look into some of the worst offenders, things like bagels, white bread and instant potatoes.

But instead of going shopping with a tip sheet and calculator in your hand, there are some easy swaps to get more “quality” carbs into your diet. Ones that will lower your GI load, and now we know, also lower your risk of lung cancer.

For example:

• Instead of having a bowl of instant oatmeal for breakfast, allow yourself a few extra minutes (and a dirty pot!) and make some old-fashioned oats.
• Nope, that “whole wheat” bread that tastes just like your favorite white bread isn’t the real deal. If you’re eating bread, what you want is the 100 percent, stone-ground wheat variety.
• “White” foods, such as white rice, white bread and white potatoes are high GI foods, while “brown” or wholegrain versions will be lower.

And as a rule of thumb, the more processed a food is, the higher it will score on the GI.

Sources:

“What’s on your plate? New study finds some carbohydrates increase your risk of lung cancer by 49%” 5NBC Chicago, March 8, 2016, nbcchicago.com