Eating Too Much Chicken Increases Your Risk Of a Deadly Disease

Most consider chicken a very healthy food

For many people, it’s surprising to learn that eating too much chicken can be dangerous. Obviously, how the food is prepared matters, and we all know that fried chicken is (despite its great taste) far less healthy than, say, baked chicken. But we’ve all seen bodybuilders whose diets are pretty much nothing but chicken and rice, so why would chicken suddenly be considered unhealthy?

As usual, the lesson here is moderation. Eating baked chicken in decent portions and not overdoing it can be very healthy, and chicken is generally better for your body than red meat. But too much of anything can be bad for you, and a new study has revealed that eating too much chicken each week increases the risk of your body developing a dangerous disease.

A new study reveals the risk of eating too much chicken

The study we’ve been talking about comes to us from Italy’s National Institute of Gastroenterology. The researchers published their work in the journal Nutrients, and it included some shocking findings about the consumption of chicken. According to the research, those who eat more than four portions of chicken each week are twice as likely to die from digestive cancer. If that’s not scary enough, eating more than four portions of chicken also increases your risk of dying from any cause by a whopping 27 percent.

At first, you might be tempted to dismiss the validity of the study. After all, many academic studies don’t last very long and/or don’t have that many participants. However, this particular study examined almost 5,000 people and lasted for two decades. That doesn’t mean all of its findings are automatically correct, but it shows just how thoroughly the researchers have looked into this specialized topic.

How could eating chicken cause cancer?

Right now, you’re probably asking the obvious question: how the heck could eating chicken cause cancer? The researchers behind this groundbreaking study are the first to admit that they don’t know exactly why consuming too much chicken increases the risk of cancer. However, they have some theories that may explain what makes that bucket of fried chicken such a danger to your life expectancy.

One theory concerns how chicken is prepared. Some of the researchers believe that when chicken is being cooked, the proteins inside may form chemicals that harm the cells inside our bodies and eventually turn into cancer. Other researchers believe that the problem is what the chickens are given before they are cooked. For example, the chickens are given a variety of medications, hormones, and food before they are cooked, all of which may cause cancer to develop within the human body.

Men are at a higher risk than women

According to this study, eating more than four portions of chicken per week is bad for everyone. However, it seems to be worse for men than for women. The researchers discovered that men are at a higher risk of developing cancer after eating too much chicken than women. Once again, they don’t know exactly why this is, but there are some compelling theories.

Some of those who conducted this study think that the different hormones in men and women may somehow cause men to be more at risk of cancer. Other researchers believe the answer is much simpler: men, as a general rule, eat more than women. Therefore, the average man is more likely to eat more chicken than the average woman, increasing his risk of developing digestive cancer.

Limitations of the study

One thing you should know about academic studies is that they are usually laser-focused. Because of that, there are always a few limitations inherent in the research. And in the study itself, these enterprising academics admitted that their own work had a few limitations that future research would need to address.

A major limitation is that this study accounted for things like smoking and weight, but not exercise levels. It’s possible, then, that those doing more exercise or doing particular exercises may be at less risk of developing cancer. Additionally, the study didn’t log exactly how the different kinds of chicken were prepared or where it came from. Needless to say, homemade baked chicken is likely to be healthier for you than a bucket of fried chicken from KFC.

Regardless of these limitations, this study is a good reminder that we should all be careful about what we eat. Exploring different foods is a great way to discover new dishes, stay healthy, and even lose weight! And as long as you don’t overdo it, nothing keeps you from chowing down on chicken multiple times per week.