New Delhi: Frequent consumption of red meat can massively increase chances of developing breast cancer among women, says one latest research reported by Daily Mail.
Eating as little as 2oz of beef, pork or lamb every day can increase the risk of contracting the disease by 56 per cent in older, postmenopausal women, the study warns. Eating larger amounts of processed meats, such as sausages, bacon, ham and pies, pushed the risk to 64 per cent for the same group.
Even younger women, who have yet to hit the menopause, are statistically more likely to develop the disease if they eat red meat daily, according to researchers at Sheffield University who believe that red meat is contributing to the onset of breast cancer because it is a rich source of saturated fat.
Researcher Janet Cade, a professor of nutritional epidemiology and public health at the university, told the Daily Mail, 'The findings are robust. Women consuming the most total meat, red meat and the processed meat were at the highest risk compared with non-meat eaters, although red and processed meat were only statistically significant post-menopausally.'
The research, published today in the British Journal of Cancer, involved 35,000 women aged between 35 and 69 who were studied over eight years.
At the start of the trial, they were asked to complete a 217-item food questionnaire from which they were divided into three groups - high, medium or low meat eaters.
They were compared with women in the sample who ate no meat.
The researchers also took into account smoking, weight, fruit and vegetable intake, class education and use of hormone replacement therapy. Professor Cade observed she was surprised that such a small amount of meat appeared to have a large effect.
The research follows similar studies which highlight the link between breast cancer and red meat.
With excerpts from The Daily Mail
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