Eating chicken four times a week could double risk of cancer death, study finds

Daily Mail​

25-04-2025

Regularly eating chicken could double your risk of dying from 11 different types of cancer, including bowel and stomach, a study has suggested.
While red and processed meat have been linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer, poultry had, until now, been considered a less risky source of protein.
In the study, Italian scientists analysed diet and health information of nearly 5,000 people, mostly in their 50s, over almost two decades.
They found those that consumed over 300g of poultry—equivalent to about four portions—per week, had double the risk of dying from a digestive cancer, compared to those who are less than one portion of poultry per week.
Eating more than four portions of poultry a week was also linked to a 27 per cent chance of increased death of any cause.
Researchers highlighted that this effect seemed to be stronger in men.
Writing in the journal Nutrients, the authors, from Italy 's National Institute of Gastroenterology, said while they couldn't be sure why this increased risk occured, there were a number of possible theories.
They suggested chicken proteins exposed to high temperatures during cooking may form chemicals that can harm human cells, triggering changes that could develop into cancer.
It could also be the result of feed given to poultry, or hormones or medications animals may be exposed to during the rearing process, the experts added.
Researchers added that why men seemed at higher risk from poultry was a mystery that required further investigation.
But they added an interaction with the different hormones in men and women was likely to be a factor.
Another potential explanation was how men tend to eat more per portion than women, giving them, in theory, a higher rate of exposure.
Eating poultry was not found to increase the risk of dying from all types of cancer, however.
The increased danger was limited to 11 different types of digestive, or gastrointestinal, cancers, which includes disease affecting the stomach, bowel, bile duct, anus, gallbladder, liver, pancreas, rectum, small intestine and the soft tissue in the abdomen.
Eating more than 350g of red meat per week, equal to around two steaks, was found to increase the risk of any type of cancer, the researchers found.
The study had several limitations, which the authors acknowledged.
One is that how the poultry was being cooked and eaten wasn't recorded in the dietary data.
This meant scientists were unable to explore any potential difference between chicken consumed as fast food or as part of a home cooked meal.
Additionally, while the authors accounted for factors like smoking status and body weight, they did not have data on participants' exercise levels which they described as a 'potentially serious limitation'.
According to Cancer Research UK, 21 per cent of bowel cancers and three per cent of all cancers in the UK are caused by eating red or processed meats.
Scientists believe this is linked to certain chemicals naturally present in meat, introduced during processing, or produced when it is cooked at high temperatures.
The NHS states that eating meat, as part of healthy balanced diet, helps provide protein which builds and repairs muscles, as well as produces hormones and enzymes.
Meat is also rich in vitamin B12, a key component in keeping the nervous system healthy.
The health service advises people who eat about 90g red meat — about three thin slices of roast beef — per day to try and cut down to 70g.