Regular ingestion of refined cereal products may facilitate the onset of oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal, esophageal, stomach, colon, rectal, and thyroid cancers.
This study analyzed the association between pre-illness intake of refined grains, such as bread and pasta, and the risk of subsequent development of certain types of cancers, including oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal, esophageal, stomach, colon, rectal, and thyroid cancers. More than 5000 Italian men and women participated in this study and their diets and incidence of specific cancers were monitored.
Researchers found out that high dietary ingestion of refined grains push up the risk of having oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal, esophageal, stomach, colon, rectal, and thyroid cancers. The authors concluded that "consumption of refined cereals was associated with an increased risk of cancers of the large bowel, the stomach, and other selected digestive and nondigestive sites."