A new study from Italy has found a surprising link between eating a lot of chicken and a higher risk of dying from digestive system cancers. The research was carried out by a team at the National Institute of Gastroenterology and published in the journal Nutrients.
Over the course of 20 years, the team followed the health and eating habits of nearly 5,000 Italian adults to see how their diets may affect their long-term health.
For many years, health experts have recommended chicken and other poultry as a healthier alternative to red meat. Red meat has often been linked to heart disease and certain cancers, so chicken has become a popular choice for those wanting to eat better.
But this new research suggests that eating too much poultry might not be as safe as once thought—at least when it comes to certain cancers.
The study involved 4,869 adults, whose health information was gathered through interviews, medical exams, and food surveys. Participants were asked how much meat and poultry they usually ate. The researchers also looked at medical records and databases to track who developed cancer and who died during the study period.
What they found raised some concerns. People who ate more than 300 grams of poultry per week—about two regular chicken breasts—had a higher chance of developing digestive system cancers. Even more worrying, they also had a 27% higher risk of dying early from those cancers, compared to people who ate 100 grams of poultry per week or less.
The digestive system includes organs such as the stomach, intestines, liver, and pancreas, which are all vital for breaking down food and absorbing nutrients. Cancers in these areas are often hard to detect early and can be deadly. That’s why it’s important to understand what might increase the risk of these illnesses.
However, the researchers made it clear that their findings don’t prove that poultry itself causes cancer. There could be other reasons behind the link. For example, they weren’t able to study how the chicken was cooked.
Cooking methods like frying or grilling at high temperatures can create chemicals that are harmful to the body. It’s also unclear whether certain additives, sauces, or breading used in cooking may play a role.
Another limitation of the study is that it didn’t include information about physical activity. How much exercise people get, or how active they are in daily life, can also affect their risk of getting cancer and dying early. While the team adjusted their results for some lifestyle factors, not including exercise is a potential weakness.
Despite these limits, the study highlights the importance of balance in diet. Eating poultry isn’t necessarily bad, but eating too much might carry risks we don’t yet fully understand.
The researchers say more studies are needed to confirm these results and figure out exactly what’s behind the increased risk. Until then, health experts may begin to look more closely at how much poultry is safe to eat, especially as part of a long-term healthy lifestyle.
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The research findings can be found in Nutrients.
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