Cows, Chickens and Breast Cancer Risk

 

A new study suggests that eating red meat may increase the risk of developing breast cancer, while poultry may actually have a protective effect.  The study followed 42,000 women for seven years. The women who ate the greatest quantities of red meat presented a 23% higher risk of invasive breast cancer than women who ate smaller amounts.

On the other hand, increased consumption of poultry was associated with a decrease in the risk of invasive breast cancer, reaching up to 15% in women who ate the greatest quantities. The women who swapped red meat for poultry reduced their risk by 28%. No link between various cooking techniques and cancer risk was observed.

Lead author Dr Dale Sandler, from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, said: "Red meat has been identified as a probable carcinogen. While the mechanism through which poultry consumption decreases breast cancer risk is not clear, our study does provide evidence that substituting poultry for red meat may be a simple change that can help reduce the incidence of breast cancer."

Dr Mieke Van Hemelrijck, reader in Cancer Epidemiology, King's College London, said that despite the study showing a correlation rather than cause and effect, "the results could be used to help us further understand how diet may have an influence on the development of cancer".