Eating more red meat is linked with raised risk of breast

cancer
Jacqui Wise
London
Eating more red meat during early adulthood is associated with
an increased risk of breast cancer, an analysis of US data from
the large Nurses Health Study has found.
1
The overall evidence concerning red meat intake and risk of
breast cancer is not consistent. However, most of the data have
come from studies that evaluated diet during midlife and later.
This latest prospective cohort study, published in The BMJ,
included data from younger women.
The US researchers analyzed data from88 803 women between
23 to 43 years of age who were asked in 1991 about their usual
dietary intake in the past year. Nine categories of red meat intake
were recorded, fromnever or less than once per month to six
or more a day. Red meat items included unprocessed red meat
such as beef, pork, lamb, and hamburger and processed red meat
such as hot dogs, bacon, and sausage.
During 20 years of follow up there were 2830 cases of invasive
breast carcinoma. Higher intake of red meat was associated with
a 22% increased risk of breast cancer overall (relative risk 1.22
(95% confidence interval 1.06 to 1.40)). Putting the data into a
statistical model the researchers calculated that each additional
serving of red meat a day was associated with a 13% increase
in the risk of breast cancer.
Eating more poultry was associated with a lower risk of breast
cancer in postmenopausal women but not in premenopausal
women. Substituting one serving a day of poultry for one serving
of red meat in the statistical model was associated with a 17%
lower risk of breast cancer overall and a 24% lower risk of
postmenopausal breast cancer. Substituting one serving a day
of legumes, nuts, poultry, or fish for one serving a day of red
meat was associated with a 14% lower risk of breast cancer
overall.
The participants in the study were predominantly white educated
US adults, so the findings may not be generalisable to other
ethnic groups, the authors acknowledged. Another potential
limitation of the study was that dietary intake was assessed by
food frequency questionnaires, so there may have been some
measurement error.
The authors concluded that replacement of unprocessed and
processed red meat with legumes and poultry during early
adulthood may help to decrease the risk of breast cancer. They
said that further study of the relation between diet in early
adulthood and risk of breast cancer was needed.
1 Farvid M, Cho E, Chen W, Eliassen AH, Willet W. Dietary protein sources in early adulthood
and breast cancer incidence: prospective cohort study. BMJ 2014;348:g3437.
Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:g3814
BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2014
For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
BMJ 2014;348:g3814 doi: 10.1136/bmj.g3814 (Published 11 June 2014) Page 1 of 1
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