Study Investigates Meat-Cheese Cancer Link

Women On High-Animal Fat Diets May Be At Greater Risk For Breast Cancer

POSTED: 5:58 p.m. EDT July 15, 2003
UPDATED: 6:01 p.m. EDT July 15, 2003

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NEW YORK -- Meat and cheese may be staples of those popular low-carb weight loss plans such as the Atkins diet, may be out of favor again.

A study of more than 90,000 women ages 26-46 finds those who ate the highest amounts of fat from animal and dairy products had a slightly higher risk of breast cancer compared to women who ate the least amount.

This may seem like confusing news for women, since recent studies have found no evidence of the meat-cheese-cancer link, but researchers note that most studies focused on older women.

"We found that higher intake of animal fat, mainly from red meat and high fat dairy products during early adult life was related to increased risk of breast cancer," said Dr. Eunyong Cho of Harvard Medical School. "Previous studies mainly included postmenopausal women and this is about younger, premenopausal women so the association could be different."

It will take more studies to figure out that difference, in the meantime, researchers say these finds may bring back an old diet strategy, moderation, moderation, moderation.