Bread-heavy diet linked to kidney cancer
Friday, November 17th, 2006Bread-heavy diet linked to kidney cancer
A diet high in bread may boost your risk of kidney cancer, according to an Italian study that compared the food intake of kidney cancer patients and those without the disease. Researchers say those consuming the highest amounts of bread doubled the risk for kidney malignancy, compared to those eating the smallest amounts.
Further study indicated
Although the findings are dramatic, the study’s lead author, Francesca Bravi, a researcher at the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan, cautioned, “Further studies are needed to conirm the link between bread and kidney cancer.”
Pass the vegetables
In the study, Bravi’s team compared 767 men and women with kidney cancer to 1,534 men and women who did not have the disease. Those who ate the highest amounts of bread—28 portions a week—had nearly two times the risk of kidney cancer as those who ate the lowest number of portions per week, 9, Dr. Bravi discovered. Even though more study is needed, Bravi said, “Our study suggests that a diet poor in reined cereals and rich in vegetables may have a favorable role in reducing the risk of renal cell carcinoma.”
Your kidneys
The function of the kidneys is to excrete urine, and to help regulate the electrolyte and acid content of the blood. With their miles of microscopic tubules, the kidneys receive blood from the aorta, ilter it, and send it back to the heart with the right balance of chemicals and luid for use throughout the body. The kidneys also rid the body of excess water and waste in the form of urine.
A toxic world
In our toxic world, it is easy for the kidneys to become overwhelmed and weakened when exposed to common pollutants and microorganisms. Kidney stones are an accumulation of mineral salts that lodge anywhere along the course of the urinary tract and kidneys.