Western diet is heavy on grains. High carb diet caused cancer in mice. Image: Afonin
In a study published in Cancer Research, researchers compared the development of tumors in mice on the Western diet or on a low carb diet. The Western diet promoted tumor growth.
Plan:
"Since cancer cells depend on glucose more than normal cells, we compared the effects of low carbohydrate (CHO) diets to a Western diet on the growth rate of tumors in mice."
Outcome:
"Strikingly, in a genetically engineered mouse model of HER-2/neu-induced mammary cancer, tumor penetrance in mice on a Western diet was nearly 50% by the age of 1 year whereas no tumors were detected in mice on the low CHO diet."
Learn more: A low carbohydrate, high protein diet slows tumor growth and prevents cancer initiation.