Want to lower your risk of breast cancer? Lay off the hamburgers, suggest researchers.
New research published in the British Medical Journal says that women who eat red meat products, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and bacon, are 22 percent more likely to develop breast cancer.
Those who opted for legumes and leafy greens over red meat faced a much lower cancer risk, however.
“The potential influence of dietary protein on risk of breast cancer has created considerable scientific attention,” write researchers in the study, published in the online version of the British Medical Journal. “High protein intake may affect the risk of breast cancer by increasing the insulin-like growth factor 1 that plays important roles in tissue growth and tumor progression. However, foods that are major sources of protein differ widely in their nutrient profiles and may have different effects on breast cancer risk.”
Drawing their data from the Nurses’ Health Study II, which analyzed the health status of women between 25 and 42 years old who used oral contraceptives, researchers identified around 89,000 pre-menopausal women who ate both legume-rich and red meat-rich diets. They also identified 2,830 women who had developed breast cancer during this time, and then compared it to how these women ate to see if there was a correlation. They also made sure to account for other factors, such as age, height, weight, and race, which may have increased or decreased their risk of breast cancer.
After considering these factors, there was still a clear correlation–women whose diets were rich in red meat products, such as hamburgers or hot dogs, were 22 percent more likely to develop breast cancer. Worse yet, it increased by an addition 13 percent for each additional serving of red meat they had daily.
However, women who ate a diet rich in legumes and leafy greens faced a substantially lower risk.
“We found that higher consumption of red meat in women during early adulthood was associated with a higher risk of breast cancer,” say researchers. “We found that the risk of breast cancer was lower in women who replaced red meat with legumes in early adulthood. Legumes contain several components such as fiber and phytoestrogen, which have been negatively associated with breast cancer incidence.”
In addition, researchers note that legumes have been shown to have anticarcinogenic activity in animal models–so it wouldn’t be so far fetched to say humans might experience similar benefits. It’s never been proven, however.
What You Should Do
So the evidence is clear: Eat too much red meat and you risk developing breast cancer. So what’s the best way to eat? Simple, say researchers: Replace red meat with leaner, more nutritious substitutes, such as poultry, fish, or nuts. Upping your intake of legumes can also help minimize your breast cancer risk for years to come.
Readers: Have you made changes to your diet before to reduce your risk of cancer?
Sources:
Study: Red Meat Products Increase Risk of Breast Cancer in Women – Harvard.edu
Red Meat Increases Breast Cancer Risk By Over 20% – BMJ.com
Press Release: Researchers Find Breast Cancer Risk Increases From Consumption of Red Meat – ScienceDaily.com
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