Study links breast cancer to Western diet

July 11, 2007 Results published on Tuesday which are part of the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study add to the evidence about an epidemiological link between cancer and a diet high in meat, dairy, and other common Western foods (such as candy).

The study compared post-menopausal women living in Shanghai who ate a "meat-sweet" diet high in meat, dairy, and sweets to those who ate a diet high in vegetables and soy. The women on the "meat-sweet" diet were 60 percent more likely to develop breast cancer, and 90 percent more likely to develop a particular type of breast cancer which is sensitive to hormones because it is estrogen-receptor positive.

The "meat-sweet" diet included beef, lamb, pork, shrimp, saltwater fish, poultry, organ meats, dairy, candy, desserts, and bread. The "vegetable-soy" diet included tofu, cauliflower, beans, bean sprouts, and green leafy vegetables, but not much meat.