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BREAD BLAMED

People who eat white bread may be at increased risk of colon cancer. Oxford doctors tracked 11,000 people for 17 years and found those who ate 15 slices or more of white bread a week had twice the risk of colorectal cancer. They suggested white bread’s refined carbohydrates could be to blame or that white bread consumption was simply a sign of poor overall diet. Copied from: Cabrini Monash University Department of Surgery news letter Nov 2004

There is plenty of evidence to suggest that by eating healthy food combined with regular exercise we can reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease and cancer by a third. There is no one particular exercise or food that can prevent cancer but there are steps we can all take to reduce our own overall risk. One of the steps The Cancer Council NSW recommends is eating a variety of wholegrain foods.

Wholegrain and wholemeal breads contain all the components of the original grain. The bran, the germ and the endosperm. The most nutritious part of the grain is these outer layers which are full of vitamins, minerals and fiber. The grain that makes the flour for white sliced packet bread has had the outer layer of the grain removed and almost every bit of goodness stripped and bleached from it.

Healthy bowels really rely on use eating whole grains for heaps of reasons. The vitamins and minerals in the grain help keep the bowel wall cells healthy and the fibre helps remove toxins, promotes the growth of healthy gut bacteria. The biggest and most important benefit of all it keeps the bowel regular. Don’t poo regularly? You should.