Red meat link to higher risk of breast cancer

Was the headline in today's Daily Mail. In an article by Gwyneth Rees, she states that women who frequently eat small amounts of red meat could be massively increasing their chances of developing breast cancer. Researchers at Sheffield University believe that red meat is contributing to the onset of breast cancer because it is rich source of saturated fat.

Lead researcher, Janet Cade, a professor of nutritional epidemiology and public health at the university said: "The findings are robust. Women consuming the most total meat, red meat and the processed meat were at the highest risk compared to non-meat eaters, although red and processed meat were only statistically significant post-menopausally". The research, published today(April 4th) in the British Journal of Cancer, involved 35000 women aged between 35 and 69 who were studied over eight years.

Henry Scowcroft, science information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: " Our best dietary advice to women worried about their breast cancer risk is to maintain a healthy body weight by taking regular exercise and avoiding large regular portions of fatty foods like red and processed meat and excess alcohol". Excellent advice for men and women alike.


(An article in the Washington Times last November, highlighted a Harvard report linking and increased risk of breast cancer in younger women who regualry eat red meat)