British media said that eating chicken has been associated with a higher risk of cancer. This is the first time this white meat has been associated with cancer.
According to the website of the Sunday Times on September 8, researchers from the University of Oxford found that eating chicken is associated with an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (a blood cancer) and an increased risk of prostate cancer in men.
Reported that this discovery may bring shock waves to the entire food industry. The British eat 1.3 billion chickens a year, on average twice a week. Chicken has long been widely regarded as a healthy alternative to red meat.
The findings came from a follow-up survey of 475000 middle-aged British people from 2006 to 2014. The survey analyzed their diet and subsequent diseases. About 23000 people have cancer.
In a paper published in the monthly journal of epidemiology and public health, the researchers said: 'poultry meat intake is positively correlated with the risk of malignant melanoma, prostate cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This positive correlation needs further research. "
This is an 'Association' study, so it only shows that people who regularly eat chicken have a higher risk of some cancers, but it does not explain why this happens. This may mean that poultry meat contains some carcinogen, but it may also be related to the way poultry meat is cooked (such as frying).
It is well known that eating red meat increases the risk of some cancers. One theory is that the blood in red meat will produce toxic decomposition products when digested by the human body. The researchers said: 'eating more red meat and processed meat is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Red meat is also positively correlated with breast cancer and prostate cancer.