Carbs can have nutraceutical benefits, according to research.
Dr Atkins may have encouraged a low-carb diet, but research suggests that some sugars can have nutraceutical benefits - including suppressing tumour growth.
A team led by Dr Minoru Fukuda of the Burnham Institute for Medical Research has identified the glycans and their associated producing enzyme, called beta-3GnT1, as a driving force behind adhesion between healthy cells.
If they are missing from the body, cancerous cells and similar invaders find it easier to migrate around the body, the researchers claim.
The glycans - which anchor healthy cells in the correct place - could therefore be associated with lower incidences of prostate or breast cancer.
Carbohydrates' applications as functional ingredients may not be limited to those forms of the disease, however.
Recent nutraceutical research from the Seattle-based Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System linked decreased carb intake with a higher risk of liver disease including cirrhosis and cancer.
High-protein and high-cholesterol diets were also identified as increasing the risk of such conditions developing.
