Sugar overdose linked to womb cancer

Women beware. Eating biscuits, buns or cakes three times a week could give you womb cancer, says a new study.

The 10-year study from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden looked at the eating habits of more than 60,000 women and found that those who gave themselves such a treat regularly were 33 percent more likely to suffer the disease.

And for those who indulge more than three times a week, the risk jumps to 42 percent, reports the Daily Mail.
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The Swedish scientists wanted to see if there was a direct link between the amount of sweet foods eaten and the onset of cancer.

They studied data from thousands of women who, between 1987 and 1990, had answered dozens of questions on diet, lifestyle, weight and general health.

Ten years later, those still alive answered an even more extensive battery of questions on their eating habits.

In 2008, the researchers matched up the women's answers with their medical records, specifically looking for diagnoses of endometrial cancer - the most common form of womb cancer. They found 729 cases out of the 61,226 women studied.

Sweets, soft drinks, jam or marmalade had little effect. However, those exceeding a total intake of more than 35 grams of sugar a day - equivalent to about seven teaspoons - faced a 36 percent increase in tumour risk.

The scientists say that sugar overload makes the body release more insulin and oestrogen.

Their findings were published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.