Study links breast cancer to Western diet

Wednesday, July 11, 2007 

Avocado Salad Roll. A diet high in vegetables and low in meat and dairy is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer.

Results published on Tuesday which are part of the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study add to the evidence about an epidemiological link between cancer and a diet high in meat, dairy, and other common Western foods (such as candy).

The study compared post-menopausal women living in Shanghai who ate a "meat-sweet" diet high in meat, dairy, and sweets to those who ate a diet high in vegetables and soy. The women on the "meat-sweet" diet were 60 percent more likely to develop breast cancer, and 90 percent more likely to develop a particular type of breast cancer which is sensitive to hormones because it is estrogen-receptor positive.

The "meat-sweet" diet included beef, lamb, pork, shrimp, saltwater fish, poultry, organ meats, dairy, candy, desserts, and bread. The "vegetable-soy" diet included tofu, cauliflower, beans, bean sprouts, and green leafy vegetables, but not much meat.

Sources

• Will Dunham. "Western diet ups breast cancer risk among Chinese" — Reuters, July 10, 2007
• "Western diet linked to breast cancer in Asian women" — CBC News, July 10, 2007
• Cui X, Dai Q, Tseng M, Shu XO, Gao YT, Zheng W. Dietary Patterns and Breast Cancer Risk in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 2007; 16 (7): 1443-8. PubMed