For years, the conventional wisdom has been to swap out red meat for white meats like chicken and poultry to help reduce health risks like increased cholesterol, cancer, and inflammation — not to mention get a more budget-friendly protein source.
But a new study links eating chicken and other poultry with a significantly increased risk of dying from gastrointestinal cancer and all other causes, reports Sunday Tribune.
But before you put down the chicken — or roll your eyes and get back to your chicken Caesar — check out the details of the study, and what a dietitian says you should do if you’re concerned.
About the Dietary Study — and Its Findings
The study, published in Nutrients, followed 4,869 people based in southern Italy who are part of large long-term cohort studies and agreed to fill out dietary and lifestyle surveys.
During the study period, which ran from 2006 until 2024, they shared information about their meat consumption, divided into red and white meats, and researchers tracked the cause of death of participants who passed away.
The study found that those who ate more than 300 grams (a little more than 10 ounces) of poultry per week had a 27% higher risk of dying than those who ate less than 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) of chicken or poultry per week.
The risk increased even more for those who ate well above that 300 gram range, and was for all causes of death, including cancers and cardiovascular disease.
The people who ate more than 300 grams of white meat per week also more than doubled their risk of dying from gastrointestinal cancers compared to those who ate less than 100 grams.
This study does seem to conflict with previous studies, which found that eating white meat instead of red meat was more protective against gastrointestinal cancers. And there are limitations to this kind of study, says Theresa Gentile, MS, RD, CDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
“This study found an association, not a direct cause, between higher poultry intake and increased mortality, especially from gastrointestinal cancers. It doesn’t mean poultry causes cancer.”
And lifestyle-based studies like this can have a lot of potentially confounding factors that could account for some of this discrepancy, including:
The cooking method and processing of the chicken could have an impact on how healthy it is.
“There is lack of data on the cooking method of the chicken,” Gentile says. “Chicken cooked at high temperatures, like grilling, barbecuing, or frying, can create heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are compounds known to increase cancer risk.”
If the chicken was highly processed, that could have an impact as well.
“Even though the study participants were following a Mediterranean diet, it’s very possible some of the chicken eaten was processed, which is high in sodium, preservatives, and saturated fats, which are linked to worse health outcomes.”
Study subjects are self-reporting their diet
This is a common issue for long-term studies, as having researchers clock every meal thousands of participants eat for decades is obviously not going to happen. But it can affect the accuracy of these types of studies.
“This study included a large number of participants over a long period of time, but self-reported diets can be inaccurate as people often underreport or under or overestimate,” Gentile says.
Other health factors weren’t assessed in the study
While blood pressure and some other metrics were part of the assessment, other things that have a big impact on someone’s health weren’t.
“Physical activity wasn’t documented in the study, which is a protector against all-cause mortality,” Gentile says.
“Other dietary factors weren’t taken into consideration—even though participants generally followed a Mediterranean diet, men were more likely to consume larger portions, more meat than women, more alcohol, and fewer fruits and vegetables.”
Should You Stop Eating Chicken?
The answer to this question isn’t quite so simple — and Gentile says it would be hasty to stop eating chicken altogether.
“This study doesn’t prove that poultry is inherently harmful, but that certain patterns of eating may be linked to higher mortality, especially in older men who eat more than 10 to 11 ounces per week,” Gentile says.
“The average person eating a few servings of chicken per week, alongside a Mediterranean diet, doesn’t need to panic, although we should always be thoughtful.”
Here’s what Gentile suggests:
Opt for pasture-raised or organic chicken
“Organic or pasture-raised chicken may have less inflammatory and less questionable feed ingredients,” Gentile says.
Avoid processed chicken products
Put down the chicken nuggets! Look for fresh cuts of chicken, rather than nuggets, patties, or deli meats.
Choose lower heat cooking methods
“It’s important not to char, BBQ, deep-fry, or griddle chicken at high heat to reduce the formation of cancer-causing compounds,” Gentile says. Consider baking or braising instead.
Swing toward plant-based proteins or seafood
If you’re looking to reduce your meat intake, swap in more plant-based proteins and seafood to take their place—and pair it with plenty of vegetables for a healthier diet.
“Plant-based proteins are high in fiber, phytochemicals, and antioxidants and help prevent against chronic diseases,” Gentile says.
