An Italian study that followed 48000 Italians eating habits for 8 years noticed that among those who ate processed carbohydrates from sources such as white bread, heart disease occurred 2.25 more often. The study also indicated that it wasn’t the carbohydrates, but the type of carbohydrates. This trend was seen among women only. High glycemic foods, foods that are rapidly absorbed in the blood stream, contain processed carbohydrates.