If you consume a lot of white bread, then you apparently have greater chances of developing the most common form of kidney cancer, renal cell carcinoma, an Italian study revealed.
The study indicated that those who ate a lot of bread double their chances of getting kidney cancer than those who consume lesser amounts of white bread.
The study analyzed the data, collected from more than 2300 Italians, of which 767 participants were suffering from renal cell carcinoma and 1,534 were normal healthy people belonging to similar age group, gender and location; based on factors such as lifestyle, diet, and personal and family medical history.
The participants were also administered a questionnaire that measured 78-food items frequency for a period of two years, and information about their height and weight were also taken so as to calculate their body mass index.
The findings of the study revealed that there was direct connection between the amount of bread consumed and the risk of developing kidney cancer.
It stated that consumption of foods with a high glycaemic index (GI) such as bread, pasta and rice could increase the risk of getting renal cell carcinoma.
On the other hand, foods such as poultry, processed meat and all vegetables, both raw and cooked, tend to lower the risk of developing kidney cancer.
About 3,400 people die of renal cell carcinoma each year and of the 6,000 cases of kidney cancer reported annually in the UK, renal cell carcinoma accounts for more than 80 per cent of those cases.
However, Marji McCullough, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society, urging t o remain cautious about the findings of the research, said, "These findings need to be replicated and found consistent before any recommendation can be made,"
The study's lead author, Francesca Bravi, a researcher at the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan, who had a similar opinion, said, "Further studies are needed to confirm the link between bread and renal cell [kidney] carcinoma,"
The findings of the research were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
