Can Eating Chicken Cause Cancer?
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A new study published in the journal Nutrients suggested that eating a lot of chicken might increase the risk of gastrointestinal cancers. This has caused a lot of fear and confusion. But before you get too worried, it’s important to understand that the study has several problems — and the real answer is not so simple.
Let’s break it down.
What Did the Study Find?
Researchers followed nearly 5,000 people in southern Italy over 19 years. They found that those who ate more than 300 grams of poultry (about three large chicken breasts) per week had a higher risk of dying from gastrointestinal cancers, like stomach or colon cancer.
The effect seemed stronger in men than in women.
Why We Should Be Careful About These Results
While this sounds scary, the study has some major weaknesses. These problems make it hard to say whether eating chicken actually caused the higher cancer risk.
Let’s look at the key issues.
Diet Was Measured Only Once
The researchers used a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to record what people were eating — but only once at the start of the study.
Think about it: most of us change our eating habits over time. A person who ate a lot of chicken at age 40 might eat very differently at age 60.
Because the study didn't update people's diets over the years, we can't be sure that their early chicken intake reflects what they ate later in life. This can lead to big mistakes in the results.
Important Health Factors Were Ignored
Another problem is that the study did not fully adjust for important factors that could influence cancer risk. These include:
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Body weight (BMI):
People with higher BMI have a greater risk of many cancers. If heavier people happened to eat more chicken, the study might wrongly blame chicken instead of weight.
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Physical activity:
Exercise reduces cancer risk. The study did not measure how active people were. Less active people might eat differently and also have higher cancer risk.
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Alcohol intake:
The study adjusted for wine but not for other alcohol like beer or spirits. Alcohol is a known cancer risk factor. If heavy drinkers ate more poultry, alcohol could be the real cause, not chicken.
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Socioeconomic status:
Education, income, and job type affect both diet and health. The study collected this information but did not adjust for it properly.
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Total energy intake:
Eating large amounts of food overall could influence cancer risk, but the study did not adjust for how much food people ate in total.
Processed vs. Fresh Chicken Was Not Separated
The study did not separate processed chicken (like fried chicken, chicken nuggets, or fast food) from fresh chicken (like plain grilled breast).
We know processed meats can have harmful additives. Without separating the two, we can't know if the risks were due to chicken itself or the way it was cooked and processed.
So, Should You Stop Eating Chicken?
No, you don’t need to stop eating chicken based on this one study.
The research does raise interesting questions, but it has too many limitations to prove that chicken causes cancer. Good-quality studies would need to repeatedly measure diet over time and carefully adjust for all the important lifestyle and health factors.
Also, chicken — especially lean cuts like breast — can be part of a healthy diet when cooked properly (grilled, boiled, not heavily fried or processed).
The Bottom Line
- Don’t panic over one study.
- Keep a balanced diet — include a variety of protein sources like chicken, fish, beans, and nuts.
- Avoid heavily processed and fried foods.
- Stay active, maintain a healthy weight, and limit alcohol.
Good health comes from the overall pattern of your diet and lifestyle, not from one single food.