For decades, health professionals have cautioned that everyday food choices may quietly increase the risk of serious illness. A prominent physician is now renewing that concern, warning that common dietary habits—not just genetics or chance—are helping drive a growing cancer burden.
A Doctor’s Clear Message on Food and Cancer
Functional medicine physician Mark Hyman recently delivered a direct message on GB News: lifestyle choices are not a minor factor in cancer risk. According to him, they are central to the issue.
He identifies diet and daily exposure to toxic substances as the two strongest forces influencing cancer development.
Refined Carbohydrates Under Scrutiny
Among dietary concerns, Hyman highlights refined carbohydrates and added sugars, particularly those found in ultra-processed foods. These products are inexpensive, widely available, and easy to consume in excess. At the same time, they are closely associated with weight gain, chronic inflammation, and metabolic imbalance.
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One everyday food stands out in his warning: refined white pasta. Popular across cultures and cuisines, it is easy to digest and easy to overeat. When consumed frequently and in large portions, he argues, it may contribute more harm than many people realise.
Why Refined White Pasta Raises Concern
White pasta is produced from wheat that has had its bran and germ removed before milling. This refining process strips away much of the fibre, vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds found in whole grains.
The result is a starch that the body breaks down very quickly. While it feels filling and familiar on the plate, in the bloodstream it behaves much like added sugar, rather than providing slow, sustained energy.
Refined pasta acts as a fast-digesting carbohydrate, causing rapid rises in blood sugar and insulin, followed by a quick return of hunger.
How Repeated Spikes Affect the Body
When this cycle occurs repeatedly—several times a day, most days of the week—the body begins to respond in damaging ways. Cells gradually become less sensitive to insulin, the hormone responsible for moving sugar from the blood into tissues.
This condition, known as insulin resistance, sits at the intersection of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.
Abdominal Fat and Cancer Risk
Hyman uses the term “cancer nest” to describe the deep fat that accumulates around the abdomen. This visceral fat is not inactive storage tissue; it releases hormones and inflammatory compounds that affect the entire body.
Over time, higher levels of abdominal fat have been associated with an increased risk of several cancers, including:
- Pancreatic cancer
- Breast cancer, particularly after menopause
- Colorectal cancer
- Prostate cancer
Diets high in refined carbohydrates and sugars make visceral fat accumulation more likely, especially when paired with low physical activity.
Choosing Better Pasta Options
Not all pasta affects the body in the same way. Processing method, portion size, and meal composition all influence how carbohydrates impact blood sugar.
- Refined white pasta: low fibre, causes rapid blood sugar spikes followed by crashes
- Wholewheat or wholegrain pasta: moderate to high fibre, leads to slower and steadier blood sugar rises
- Legume-based pasta (lentil or chickpea): high fibre and protein, produces gentler rises and greater fullness
Wholegrain and legume pastas still contain carbohydrates, but their fibre and protein content slows digestion. This helps stabilise blood sugar and reduces the urge to snack frequently.
Switching from large servings of white pasta to smaller portions of wholegrain or legume options, paired with vegetables and protein, can significantly lower the metabolic burden.
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Chemicals and Toxins: The Other Risk Factor
Diet represents only one part of Hyman’s concern. The other involves environmental chemicals. Since the 20th century, tens of thousands of synthetic substances have become part of daily life, appearing in food packaging, cosmetics, cleaning products, and building materials.
Many of these chemicals were introduced without thorough long-term safety testing. Some are now classified as endocrine disruptors, meaning they can interfere with hormones that regulate growth, metabolism, and reproduction.
While the risk from any single exposure may be small, the combined effect over decades raises serious concerns among researchers.
Common Sources of Daily Exposure
Most people encounter these substances through multiple channels, including:
- Food additives and pesticide residues
- Plastic containers used for storing or heating food
- Air pollution from vehicles and industry
- Household dust carrying chemicals from furniture and electronics
Hyman emphasises that no single meal or product causes cancer. His concern lies with the cumulative strain placed on bodies already dealing with excess sugar, excess fat, and insufficient movement.
The Protective Role of Everyday Movement
Alongside diet and reduced chemical exposure, Hyman points to regular physical activity as a key element of cancer prevention. This does not require intense workouts, but rather consistent daily movement.
Even a 15–30 minute walk after dinner can help lower blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, and reduce overall risk.
Exercise allows muscles to absorb glucose without relying heavily on insulin. Over time, this can ease insulin resistance and reduce chronic inflammation, another factor linked to tumour development.
Rethinking a Familiar Comfort Food
For pasta lovers, such warnings may sound alarming. Nutrition experts note that context matters. An occasional serving of refined pasta within an otherwise balanced diet is very different from frequent large portions combined with few vegetables, sugary snacks, and little physical activity.
Simple adjustments can lower risk without eliminating favourite foods:
- Replace at least half of white pasta meals with wholegrain or legume pasta
- Reduce pasta portions and increase vegetable intake
- Add protein sources such as beans, fish, eggs, or lean meat
- Take a short walk after carbohydrate-heavy meals, especially in the evening
Understanding the Key Terms
Two scientific concepts underpin this discussion. The first is insulin resistance, a state in which cells no longer respond properly to insulin. The pancreas compensates by producing more insulin, resulting in elevated levels of both blood sugar and insulin. Over time, this can damage blood vessels, organs, and DNA.
The second is visceral fat. Unlike fat stored just under the skin, visceral fat surrounds internal organs and releases chemical signals that influence immune function, hormone balance, and cell growth. Higher levels have been linked to increased cancer risk, regardless of overall body weight.
Why Lifestyle Patterns Matter Most
Consider two adults of similar age who both eat pasta twice a week. One stays active, prefers wholegrain options, avoids sugary drinks, and maintains a stable waistline. The other relies heavily on refined starches, spends long hours sitting, gains abdominal fat, and sleeps poorly. Their risk profiles are not the same, even if their favourite meal is identical.
This comparison helps explain why Hyman draws attention to white pasta and refined starches when they sit at the centre of a broader lifestyle pattern. The focus is less on fear of a single food and more on recognising how daily habits quietly shape long-term cancer risk.
