Women Who Eat More Processed Carbs More Likely to Develop Heart Disease

Italian researchers have found that women who eat more white bread, white rice, and similar carbohydrate-rich foods that lead to a spike in blood sugar are more than twice as likely than others to develop heart disease. Appearing in a recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, the research involved analyzed data from about 48,000 Italian adults who provided detailed information about their diets, including the amount and types of carbohydrates they regularly consumed. For this group, bread, pasta, and pizza were common sources listed. During the eight-year follow-up, nearly 500 people, 65% of whom were men, experience heart-related health issues, and women who ate the most carbs had twice the risk of developing heart disease. The researchers also discovered women who ate the largest amount of high–glycemic-index foods were at 2.25 times the risk of developing heart disease.