Breast Cancer & Fat

A study of more than 90,000 women aged 26-46 (published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2003 Jul 16;95(14):1079-85, Cho et al) showed that women with the highest intakes of animal fat had a 33% greater risk of developing invasive breast cancer. Over the 8 years of the study, 714 women developed invasive breast cancer. Vegetable fats, such as olive oil, did not affect a woman's risk and it was not total fat but certain types of fat (e.g saturated) that were related to breast cancer risk. There was a higher risk of breast cancer among women who ate foods rich in animal fat such as red meat, cheese, ice cream and butter during their 20s, 30s and 40s.

Intakes of both saturated and monounsaturated fat from animal fats were related to modestly elevated breast cancer risk. Among food groups contributing to animal fat, red meat and high-fat dairy foods were each associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. The study concluded that the intake of animal fat, mainly from red meat and high-fat dairy foods, during premenopausal years is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.

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Last Updated: August 2003