Is There Really a Link Between Red Meat Consumption and Breast Cancer?

That's hard to say. The buzz is being generated right now from the recent publication of a Harvard Medical School study suggesting high red meat consumption can nearly double a woman's risk of getting breast cancer. At least, that's how The Washington Post and a few other media outlets, in print, online, and on television, are presenting the data. The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine on Monday.

The particular type of breast cancer that was linked to red meat consumption is called hormone-receptive. It should be noted that the study was only conducted on premenopausal women, and it was done by analyzing the answers that women provided for a questionnaire on the frequency that they ate particular foods.

Now, I'm not going to go into some in-depth analysis on what the results mean as the real experts have already hashed it out. I would just like to provide some links for you to follow in order to decide for yourself. I think what most of the skeptics are saying is that there is no real conclusive evidence to a link between red meat consumption and breast cancer. Objectively looking at the subject, I think most people took the reported results and ran with them. It seems there could be some sort of link, but there needs to be more research before a definitive association can be claimed. I personally feel that there are risks associated with eating red meat in excess, without supplementing your diet with alternatives. I also feel that there are risks with eating much of the meat that is processed here in the US because of the hormones that have been injected into the cows before they are slaughtered. That's why I always try to purchase hormone-free meat.

One very good analysis I found was written by a journalist for foxnews.com. I can't say that I much like the source, but his message is solid, and well-researched. It's worth a read here.

Another analysis is done by the much respected STATS at George Mason University. They also make a good arguement as to why this subject needs more research before these results can be found conclusive.

Now, on the same token, keep in mind that there is a definitive link between excessive red meat and processed meat consumption to colorectal cancer. So it would probably not be a good idea to eat red meat everyday. However, the risks for colon cancer and the danger to your overall health are smaller than those created by obeisity and lack of exercise. So, priority-wise, if you are obese, it would be more beneficial to bring your weight under control before you worry about your meat consumption.