One of the most effective things that you can do to prevent cancer is to change your diet. Food plays a role in the body's immune responses, and a weakened immune system means that your body will have a harder time fighting irregular cell growth. As you are changing your diet, it is important to stay away from white flour. Here's why:
1. Important Vitamins and Minerals are Missing
Whole grains contain an abundance of healthy vitamins and minerals to support the health of your body. But, in order to create white flour, wheat goes through heavy processing that removes all six of the outer layers of the seed's bran. When these layers are removed, it strips out 97% of the dietary fiber and 76% of the vitamins and minerals that were available in the whole seed. Nutritional deficiencies have been associated with the development of chronic diseases, so it is important that you are focusing your diet on nutrient dense foods if you want to avoid cancer and other illnesses.
2. Preservatives and Bleach
After the bran has been stripped, the flour goes through a bleaching process. It is preserved and aged by applying chlorine dioxide. Then, chalk is added to the flour, to whiten it even more. Other additives include ammonium carbonate and alum which improve the look and feel of the flour. Sorbitan and alloxen are two other additives that are used when white flour is being produced. Bread products usually contain emulsifiers, which are used to hide the age of the bread and improve the texture by making it softer. There are no nutritional benefits to these additives, the only purpose is to improve the taste and make the food more pleasant to look at.
3. Toxin Accumulation
The development of cancer has been associated with increased levels of toxins in the body, and white flour makes it harder for the digestive system to get rid of those cancer-causing toxins. When white flour is mixed with water to make bread and other baked goods, it creates a sticky substance. The stickiness, combined with the fact that the fiber has been removed, results in a slow-moving mass in your colon. As the colon slows down, it becomes more and more difficult for the body to get rid of toxins, and the buildup of toxins could potentially be contributing to the growth and development of cancer.
4. Blood Sugar Response
It is a known fact that cancer cells feed on sugar, and white flour has the same response as sugar in the body. Bread, bagels, cookies, and other baked foods are high on the glycemic index, which means that they spike blood sugar levels. As the blood sugar spikes, the body releases Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF) which sends the glucose into the cells to stimulate growth. This response sets the stage for tumor growth within your body. As you can see, there are many reasons why white flour is bad for your health. Next time you are tempted by the cookies, doughnuts, bread, or other treats, remember that you should stay far away because those foods can have a devastating effect on your health. Instead of purchasing products that contain white flour, look for those that say “whole grain” which provides the body with nutrition without contributing to the health problems that are associated with white flour. Watch out though, you have to look at the ingredients list. Remember that it is mostly creative marketing on the front of the package.
Do you want to learn more about how your diet impacts cancer growth and prevention? Unravel the Mystery by Ann Malkmus, is a book with detailed information about how you can change your lifestyle to improve your health. Also, Unravel the Mystery - The Companion Recipe Book is a great resource for recipes intended to help the body while it is fighting cancer.
