Glycemic Index
One of the main things usually recommended in anti-cancer diets as well as general health diets is to eat foods which are low on the glycemic index. Generally, more processed foods are higher on the GI as well as very starchy foods like potatoes and rice, especially white rice. Soft drinks and white sugar are at the top (worst) end of the scale.
Most diets laud a diet low in processed foods, simple sugars, and simple carbohydrates. The Atkins diet took this to an extreme saying that you could keep your weight under control by avoiding carbs and eating mostly proteins like meat plus fats, while severely limiting carbs.
However, the body is meant to have a balance of good and nutritious foods. Eliminating whole groups of healthy foods may not be the wisest thing. Most anti-cancer diets do recommend a low meat or no meat diet for the reason of alkalizing your body. Virtually all legitimate anti-cancer diets support a diet that is filled with veggies and to a lesser extent, fruits and whole grains. Eating this way will help your blood chemistry.
If you are trying to eat a diet that would reduce your blood sugar levels, which is recommended for cancer prevention, sweeteners may be an important component of that. Here is a list of sweeteners and their GI. This is from the website: http://www.fitsugar.com/Glycemic-Index-Where-Do-Sweeteners-Fall-3031565
| Sweetener | GI |
| Glucose | 96 |
| Fructose | 22 |
| Lactose | 46 |
| Sucrose (white sugar) | 64 |
| Brown sugar | 64 |
| Barley malt syrup | 42 |
| Brown rice syrup | 25 |
| Raw honey | 30 |
| Agave syrup | 15 |
| High fructose corn syrup | 62 |
| Stevia | less than 1 |
| Sugar cane juice | 43 |
| Evaporated cane juice | 55 |
| Maple syrup | 54 |
| Black strap molasses | 55 |
