An Italian study found that people who ate five or more slices of bread a day, or 35 per week, were twice as likely to develop Renal Cell Carcinoma, a leading cause of kidney cancer, as those who ate bread only half as often, or less. The scientists behind the study felt that an increase in blood glucose levels might be a factor in the increased cancer risk. High GI foods are usually things that are highly processed with a lot of sugar or contain a lot of refined white flour. Some sources are saying that the study linked eating white bread with cancer because of this GI link, but "the study did not specify what type of bread [participants] ate," so statements of that sort are just speculation. The study did not actually "establish exactly what in bread may be to blame."

Besides, it seems that a significant portion of the food-related media tries to convince us that in Italy everyone only eats the best bread from their local bakeries, not processed white bread. If the results of the study turned out to be a result of eating three loaves of Wonder Bread each week it might make sense, but baguettes?

If we actually paid attention to every single "news" item that warned us about cancer-causing foods, we'd probably only be able to drink water. Heck, someone somewhere at some point will probably determine that water causes cancer, too. I wouldn't be surprised.

Still, it's good to know that a common chemical used to flavor processed foods is linked to stomach, liver, and kidney cancers. The chemical is called methyleugenol and is found in common foods like candy, cookies, bubblegum, pumpkin pie, puddings, ice cream, apple butter, chutney, anise biscotti, French toast, ketchup, nutmeg and gingerbread. Although the chemical hasn't been officially found to cause cancer is humans (tests were done on laboratory rats), tests that were done from 1994 to 1998 on humans showed that 98 percent of participating adults had traces of methyleugenol in their blood.