Does eating chicken raise cancer risk? Here’s what you should know

Who doesn’t love having crispy fried chicken, a yummy chicken biryani, or a grilled chicken sandwich? Many dishes can be whipped up with the humble chicken, a storehouse of proteins, vitamins and minerals. As chicken is cheaper than beef, mutton and pork, many people love to put chicken-based delicacies on the table regularly. But consuming chicken daily has its share of downsides. A recent study has revealed that eating chicken daily can trigger gastrointestinal cancer, leading to untimely death.

The exhaustive research, involving as many as 4,000 people spread across 19 years, found that eating more than 300 grams of poultry in a week increased the mortality risk by 27 per cent compared to having less than 100 grams weekly. Men who ate more than 300 grams of poultry weekly are at twice the risk of gastrointestinal mortality. But other studies have shown that consuming lean white meat, such as chicken, is healthier than having red meat like beef. One of the limitations of the relevant study is that it didn’t consider how chicken was cooked, and no lens was put on the physical activities of the participants. However, health experts have opined that people who eat chicken on a regular basis should keep an eye on the quantity of chicken they consume. Besides chicken, one should follow a balanced diet by including fish, pulses, vegetables and fruits.