Grilled and smoked meat up breast cancer risk

May 9, 2007 in Cancer Prevention, Nutrition Topics in the News, Women's Health

Grilled and smoked meat up breast cancer risk

In the first study of its kind to examine the link between lifelong intake of grilled and smoked meat and breast cancer risk - researchers from the University of South Carolina suggest that the regular consumption of meats grilled or smoked ups the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

Researchers recruited 1508 women with breast cancer and 1556 healthy controls and estimated their lifetime intakes of grilled and smoked meats. 

Intake in premenopausal women was not linked to breast cancer.  However, in postmenopausal women with the highest intake of smoked and grilled meats over their lifetime, they experienced a 47 percent increased risk of breast cancer.

In postmenopausal women with a high consumption of smoked and grilled meats and low fruit and vegetable intake, the associated risk of breast cancer increased to 74 percent.

These latest findings were published in the Epidemiology.

These findings support other findings that have linked both red meat and grilled meats to breast cancer.  In fact, a recent study by Harvard researchers published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that eating more than one and a half servings of red meat per day could double the risk of breast cancer, compared to women who eat less than three servings per week.

According to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in Canadian women.  It is estimated that one in nine women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.  For more information, please visit the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

All research on this web site is the property of Leslie Beck Nutrition Consulting Inc. and is protected by copyright. Keep in mind that research on these matters continues daily and is subject to change. The information presented is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. It is intended to provide ongoing support of your healthy lifestyle practices.