Meat
Does eating meat increase the incidence of breast cancer?
No. The consumption of animal fats and proteins does not make a noticeable difference in risk. Women who eat large quantities of meat get breast cancer at the same rate as women who eat meat infrequently or women who are total vegetarians. The way that meat is cooked, however, does seem to affect the risk of breast cancer.
How does cooking method affect the risk of breast cancer?
Although the amount of meat in your diet is not a predictor of the risk of breast cancer, the way you cook your meat may be. Results are preliminary, but it looks as if women who routinely prefer well-done meat have a higher risk of breast cancer than women who generally prefer their meat cooked rare or medium. The one-third of women who preferred well-done (or very-well-done) meat developed breast cancer 20–25% more often than the average woman, and the two-thirds of women who preferred rare or medium cooking developed breast cancer 15% less often than the average.
How convincing is the evidence linking overcooked meat and breast cancer?
The research is still preliminary. However, different types of research studies show that the consumption of well-done meats is likely to increase a woman's risk of breast cancer. Clinical epidemiology studies show a higher incidence of breast cancer among women who eat well-done meat. There are similar studies showing an association between the consumption of well-done meat and an increased risk of colorectal and stomach cancer. Laboratory tests provide consistent evidence that high cooking temperatures and longer cooking times produce more HCAs -- in fact, many more HCAs. Studies in both rats and in test tubes show that HCAs can directly cause cancers to appear in breast cells. On the basis of the combination of evidence from many sources, it looks as if eating well-done meats is likely to increase a woman's risk of getting breast cancer.
Is red meat the only problem? What about fish or chicken?
Theoretically, almost any food could produce HCAs if cooked at a high temperature or for a long time. However, for all practical purposes, it is red meat that poses the problem because of cooking conventions. Fish is not normally overcooked, so HCA production is not generally a problem. It is easy to remove the blackened skin -- where HCAs would be concentrated -- from grilled chicken. Charcoal-grilled and overcooked whole-grain breads will produce HCAs, too, but bread is not normally eaten that way. In this vein, red meat is the most commonly overcooked food and, therefore, the most common source of HCAs.
How can meat preparation minimize exposure to HCAs?
Adopting specific cooking techniques can cut the production of HCAs to nearly undetectable levels. For thin cuts of meat, such as steaks, sear the surface quickly and then remove the meat from the heat while the interior is still pink. Precook larger cuts of meat at a low temperature in the microwave, then drain off the clear fluid, which contains most of the HCAs, and brown the exterior quickly in the broiler. Finally, avoid using pan drippings to make gravy, since these contain the HCAs. Hamburgers can be a problem because ground beef should be cooked thoroughly to destroy bacteria. Fast-food hamburgers generally do not contain high levels of HCAs because the patties are thin and quick cooking methods are used.
