Research Shows that Diet Matters When it Comes to Disease Risk

Every week, it seems as if a new study has linked yet another favorite food to a dreaded disease, illness, or health condition. In fact, the number of disease-food connections that researchers have made in the last decade along is truly staggering. There are so many health advisories floating around about different foods that the prospect of selecting a disease-preventing diet can be quite confusing.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that some of the most longstanding food-disease links have been overturned by new research in recent years. Products like processed vegetable oils and margarines, for example, which were once thought to limit disease risk by reducing saturated fat intake, are now being regarded as possible health suspects.

Indeed, the task of keeping track of which foods scientists say are linked to heightened risk of disease can be a formidable challenge. This week, we'll review some of the latest findings that have shed light on the connection between diet and disease.

Diets High in Processed Carbohydrates Linked to Prostate Cancer and Tumor Growth

Over the course of the last decade, a great deal of controversy has swirled around the low-carb diets popularized by Dr. Atkins and other similar plans like the South Beach Diet, Protein Power, and Sugar Busters.

Although the scientific community is still divided over the health and safety of diets that largely eschew fruits, grains, and other carbohydrates, the results of one recent study seem to indicate that high-carb diets may promote prostate cancer and prostate tumor growth.

The study compared the rate of prostate cancer tumor growth in two groups of mice fed different levels of carbohydrates. In the high-carb group, the spread of the cancer was observed to be much more rapid and severe than in the group of mice fed a low-carb diet. The researchers speculated that the difference could be attributed to fluctuating insulin levels, which are a common side effect of the standard high-carb way of eating.

Low-Quality Diets Found to Increase Cancer Risks for Poor Minority Women

It has long been known that poor and socioeconomically disadvantaged people often fare worse when it comes to health than do their more affluent counterparts. However, the results of a study that were recently released by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health pinpointed specifically how poor dietary choices can play a major role in impeding the health of impoverished people.

The study followed a population of more than 150 African-American women living in public housing in and around Washington, D.C. It tracked dietary intake, as well as a number of other common measures of overall health.

According to the researchers, the women in the study typically had diets that deviated significantly from the generally accepted standards of healthy eating. In fact, more than 60% of the participants did not meet any of the recommended government guidelines for a healthy diet.

The researchers connected the participants' poor diets to the group's higher-than-average cancer risk. According to the scientists who led the study, poor African-American women have a greater risk of cancer mortality than any other ethnic or demographic group in the United States. Most of the women who participated in the study later joined in a related investigation in which they attended nutrition and health-promotion classes.

High-Fiber Diets Found to Decrease Diabetes Risks

While researchers have long recognized that diet plays a major role in the origins and management of Type II diabetes, recent studies have focused on delineating the specific impact of certain eating patterns on the disease.

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine sought to assess the connection between a higher-fiber, lower-carb dietary pattern and diabetes development and regulation. The investigation drew on data that had been collected as part of the massive, multi-state Black Women's Health Study.

According to the study's findings, women whose diets included high-carb, low-fiber foods with an overall higher glycemic index were more likely to develop diabetes. Conversely, women whose diets included lower-carb and higher-fiber menu selections appeared to enjoy a measure of protection against the disease.

It is not necessary to cut out carbs and grains altogether to prevent diabetes, the researchers cautioned. However, by choosing higher-fiber foods that take longer to digest and do not impact the blood glucose levels as severely, the diet can play an important role in protecting against the development of the disease.

If you have more questions about the relationship between diet and disease, talk to your doctor or a licensed nutritionist to work out an eating plan that's tailored to your health profile. Don't forget to check back here each week for more of the health science news you need.