If you eat a lot of things with a high glycemic load, which is a measurement of how quickly food raises your blood sugar, you may have problems not only related to diabetes or being over weight, but you could run a higher risk of colorectal cancer. A Harvard Medical School study involving 38,000 women saw an increased risk of colon cancer related to the white foods like pasta, white rice, white bread, potatoes, and pastries. The lower glycemic load foods like whole wheat bread or multi grain breads and brown rice comes with fiber. Another Harvard study showed an increase in the risk of pancreatic cancer in women who are overweight and sedentary.

According to a study published in the International Journal of Cancer, a significant link between a diet high in bread and kidney cancer has been found. A diet high in pasta and rice might also contribute to an increase in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) a common form of kidney cancer.

2301 Italians particpated in the study conducted by researchers from the Institute of Pharmacological Research Mario Negri in Milan.

Researchers found that diets high in bread, pasta and rice, which cause a rise in insulin-like growth factors might play a role in the increase in cancer. Diets high in poultry, processed meat, and all vegetables, both raw and cooked appear to decrease the risk.

For more information on the glycemic diet and the glycemic index, visit Fifty 50.

Some research indicates that how blood glucose levels function can lead to diseases, including the possibility of an interconnected link to cancers. One way to control blood glucose levels is in following the glycemic index diet. The glycemic index is a numerical rating system for carbohydrates. Carbohydrates in food that break down quickly in the bloodstream cause blood glucose levels to spike, or rise rapidly. Carbohydrates in food that break down slowly release glucose gradually into the blood stream. Ideally, you want glucose to be released slowly to maintain optimum health -- and weight for that matter. In addition, fat and fiber can influence how slowly or quickly carbohydrates are converted. For example, a slice of whole grain bread is a low glycemic food, where white bread is a high glycemic food.

If you are interested in learning more about the low glycemic diet, a few places to start are Fifty50 and Shake Off the Sugar, where you will find a glycemic index for some every day foods, educational information, recipes and tips. 

In my every day average life, it is not in a language I speak. In my opinion, the news release is all very technical and scientifically worded -- basically a snoozefest for the pedestrian reader -- but it's interesting because of the common links found in the function of insulin, hormones, diabetes, obesity and cancer. Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research UCL Branch and the UCL Centre for Diabetes & Endocrinology researchers found the commonality by studying the function of the molecule p110 alpha, the flag-ship molecule of the eight member PI3K family, which is one of the most frequently activated pathways in cancer. According to the researchers, this study yielded information that could affect millions of people with metabolic disorders and cancer. The rest of the news release is found here.

The reason I am mentioning it at all, is the research reminds me of information I found four years ago when I read The Breast Cancer Prevention Diet by Dr. Bob Arnot. Dr. Arnot, NBC News chief medical correspondent, began researching breast cancer prevention after his mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer. His book was the first I came across that suggested insulin level was something to pay attention to for women interested in breast cancer prevention, and he outlined the reasons why a low glycemic diet was important for cancer prevention. Dr. Arnot's book includes a great deal of information about nutrition and diet, and I would recommend it to any woman newly-diagnosed with breast cancer and women interested in reducing their breast cancer risks.

As a cancer survivor, I am interested in any information that might aid in my survival. Even if you have not been diagnosed with cancer, or diabetes, or one of the many metabolic diseases that people suffer, it is common sense that maintaining steady insulin levels is important to long-term good health. Without ever knowing or understanding a thing about the molecule p110 alpha, we can benefit by learning about how foods affect our health in helping prevent the onset of many diseases. Sometimes I get the feeling disease, any disease, is the result of a complex falling domino-effect of causes. I am not sure how many dominos we can prevent from collapsing into each other, but I am fairly certain we can make a difference in how fast some of them fall.