Junk food may increase cancer risk in women

Eating junk food may increase chances of cancer in women, says a new study that, however, found no cancer link in men.

Scientists, led by Par Stattin, from Umea University Hospital in Sweden, studied around 65,000 adults for 13 years and identified 2,478 cases of cancer.

The study highlighted the dangers of a diet that includes high levels of fat and processed foods, reported the online edition of Daily Mail.

It found that women with raised levels of blood sugar face significant extra risks of suffering from cancers of the pancreas, skin, womb and urinary tract.

Further, older women with fat-rich diets have a 15 percent increase in their chances of developing breast cancer. The study found that fat intake levels of 40 percent of diet put women most at risk.

High blood sugar levels are linked to unhealthy diets, including fatty and processed foods, and can lead to Type 2 diabetes.

Previous research has shown an increased risk of cancer in patients with this form of diabetes, which usually occurs in middle age.

But the new findings demonstrate that rising blood sugar levels also increase the cancer risk in women.

It shows that the 25 percent of women with the highest blood sugar readings had a 26 percent greater chance of developing cancer than those with readings in the bottom quarter bracket.

There was also an increase in breast cancer risk for women with high blood sugar before menopause.