BOSTON -- Too much bread could be bad for people's health, according to Italian researchers.

NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh reported that researchers said eating too much bread could increase the risk of kidney cancer.

Italian researchers surveyed more than 2,300 people. Only a small group of them ate a lot of bread -- five slices a day. But those who did increased their risk of developing kidney cancer by 94 percent. Researchers said the increase may seem large, but in real numbers, the risk is very small.

"Kidney cancer, fortunately, is not the most common type of cancer," said Dr. Charles Fuchs of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

But Fuchs said the risk is real.

"(Bread) drives up your insulin levels and, in theory, that insulin promotes the growth of cancer cells within the kidney," said Fuchs.

While the study focused on breads, Fuchs said it's not healthy to eat an excessive amount of starchy foods -- whether it's bread, pasta or rice.

"It pushes your cholesterol up, it promotes heart disease, it increases your risk of diabetes. And, as this study suggests, it increases the risk of cancer of the kidney," Fuchs said.

Some people said the research is hard to swallow.

"I didn't see a doctor for three years, and I eat a lot of meat, a lot of bread," one person said.

"How are you going to eat a sandwich without bread?" another person asked.

But Fuchs said people don't have to swear off all bread, just remember that the key is moderation.

"I do think that moderation, when it comes to carbohydrates, is an important health message," said Fuchs.

Other researchers said while the finding is interesting, it is preliminary and there are only two proven factors that increase the risk of kidney cancer -- obesity and smoking.

The study is in the International Journal of Cancer.