We found that eating red meat on most days of the week moderately increased the risk of premenopausal breast cancer, but only the type that is sensitive to estrogen.

Several years ago, we reported that a high intake of animal fat might raise a woman’s risk of developing premenopausal breast cancer. Now, we’ve updated our analyses to include another 4 years’ worth of information and to look specifically at red meat (including beef, pork, and lamb). We found that eating red meat on most days of the week moderately increased the risk of premenopausal breast cancer, but only the type that is sensitive to estrogen. These findings suggest that the hormones in red meat may be playing a role. (Cho E et al. Arch Intern Med2006; 166:2253)