Does eating red meat affect breast cancer risk?

You may have heard about the link between red meat and heart disease. Did you know that red meat has also been linked to breast cancer?

Professionally Reviewed by Charles Li, MD

Red Meat & Breast Cancer

Key Data

You may have heard about the link between red meat and heart disease.

Did you know that red meat has also been linked to breast cancer?

A study of over 44,000 women found that eating more red meat correlated with a higher risk of breast cancer before menopause.

Scientists found that among the women they surveyed, those who ate the most red meat had a 43% higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to those who ate the least red meat.

Eating less red meat is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. A study of 44,231 women aged 33-52 found that those who ate the most red meat had the highest risk of developing pre-menopausal breast cancer.

Data Source

"In conclusion, higher consumption of red meat during adolescence was associated with premenopausal breast cancer. Substituting other dietary protein sources for red meat in adolescent diet may decrease premenopausal breast cancer risk."

Source: Adolescent meat intake and breast cancer risk

Switching from Red Meat

Benefits for Breast Cancer

Based on this data, researchers calculated that switching one serving of red meat to non-red meat or plant protein can significantly reduce your risk of breast cancer by 15%.

If you were planning to order the steak, but instead ordered the chicken, you might just see some health benefits.

Red Meat & Heart Disease

""Substituting one serving per day of red or processed red meat with foods such as nuts, legumes, whole grains or dairy was associated with up to a 47% lower risk of having coronary heart disease in men.""

Source: Read More

What is Red Meat?

Nutritional Definition

In the field of nutrition, red meat generally refers to beef, lamb, and pork.

While pork generally looks "whiter" than beef, it is still considered red meat when it comes to your health.

For better health, try adding more plant protein and chicken in your diet instead of beef and pork.

Is Pork Red Meat?

""Pork is classified a red meat because it contains more myoglobin than chicken or fish. When fresh pork is cooked, it becomes lighter in color, but it is still a red meat.""

Source: Read More

Plant Protein

Better than red meat

So, if not red meat, then what?

Some studies suggest that plant proteins in general may be the way to go. Plants, especially beans and peas, contain protein. Tofu, for example, is made from soybeans and has lots of protein.

Eating more plant protein has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, as shown below.

Eating more plant proteins was associated with a lower risk of heart disease.

Data Source

"In this large prospective study, higher plant protein intake was associated with lower total and CVD-related mortality."

Source: Association of Animal and Plant Protein Intake With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality in a Japanese Cohort

Plant Protein & Mortality

A longer life?

Eating more plant protein might actually help you live longer as well, particularly if you replace red meat with plant protein.

Participants who ate more plant protein had a significantly lower risk of stroke and lower risk of death.

Vegan protein was associated with a lower risk of stroke and heart disease. Individuals who ate the most plant proteins had the longest life expectancy.