Tuesday
May262009
Tue, May 26, 2009 | by Lisa Barger Meat Intake Not Linked To Breast Cancer
First reported by Reuters, a new study in the International Journal of Cancer finds that regular consumption of meat does not increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer. This flies in the face of some (but not all) past studies that did find a link.
This study looked at data on more than 120,000 women enrolled in a study from the National Institutes of health and AARP. Women in this study kept information on what they ate and how they cooked it for one year. The women’s medical data was then tracked for another 8 years.
What makes this study particularly interesting to me is 2 things. First, contrary to what a lot of us have been told saturated fat does not seem to be any worse (at least for breast cancer) than “healthier” fats. Second, even “processed” meats like bratwurst and sausage seemed to be much safer than we are often led to believe.
Now, no one is going to rush out and advocate the eating of lots of red meats—it still has its own set of health issues, after all—and I am certainly no fan of highly processed foods, but this study does seem to suggest that a lot of women have needlessly worried about having a hot dog with the family.
References:
Geoffrey, C., et al. (2009). Meat intake and meat preparation in relation to risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in the NIH-AARP diet and health study. International Journal of Cancer.
This study looked at data on more than 120,000 women enrolled in a study from the National Institutes of health and AARP. Women in this study kept information on what they ate and how they cooked it for one year. The women’s medical data was then tracked for another 8 years.
What makes this study particularly interesting to me is 2 things. First, contrary to what a lot of us have been told saturated fat does not seem to be any worse (at least for breast cancer) than “healthier” fats. Second, even “processed” meats like bratwurst and sausage seemed to be much safer than we are often led to believe.
Now, no one is going to rush out and advocate the eating of lots of red meats—it still has its own set of health issues, after all—and I am certainly no fan of highly processed foods, but this study does seem to suggest that a lot of women have needlessly worried about having a hot dog with the family.
References:
Geoffrey, C., et al. (2009). Meat intake and meat preparation in relation to risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in the NIH-AARP diet and health study. International Journal of Cancer.
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