A long-term Italian study found that men who consumed more than 300 g of poultry per week had more than twice the risk of dying from gastrointestinal cancers compared with men who ate less than 100 g weekly.

The study followed nearly 5,000 adults from southern Italy over an average of 16 years, tracking diet, lifestyle, and cause of death. By the end of 2024, 1,028 participants had died, including 108 from gastrointestinal (GI) cancers such as stomach, colon, and liver cancers.

Those who consumed more than 300 g of poultry per week had a 27% higher risk of death from any cause compared with those eating less than 100 g. The risk of GI cancer death in this group was more than double and particularly elevated in men.

“Among men, for weekly poultry consumption above 300 g, the subdistribution hazard ratio was 2.61 (95% confidencer interval = 1.31–5.19),” wrote Caterina Bonfiglio, of the Unit of Data Science, National Institute of Gastroenterology in Italy, and colleagues. This indicates a 161% higher risk of GI cancer death in the higher poultry consumption group.

The findings also showed that individuals who died from GI cancers consumed more poultry on average—about 137 g per week—than those who died from other causes, who consumed approximately 105 to 110 g weekly.

By age 83—the average age of death in the study—participants who ate more than 300 g of poultry weekly had a 6% probability of dying from GI cancer, compared with 3% among those with the lowest poultry intake. Among men, the probability increased to 8% for high-intake consumers.

The results were adjusted for potential confounding factors, including sex, smoking status, cholesterol, blood glucose, alcohol intake, diabetes, hypertension, and adherence to a Mediterranean diet.

Red meat intake showed different associations. Moderate red meat consumption (150–250 g per week) was linked to a lower risk of all-cause mortality. In men, total meat intake of 200 to 300 g per week was associated with a reduced risk of GI cancer death.

The study did not assess cooking methods or distinguish between fresh and processed poultry, nor did it include physical activity data, which the authors acknowledged as limitations.

Researchers called for further studies to understand why poultry consumption appeared to have a stronger association with GI cancer death in men than in women.

The authors reported no conflicts of interest.

Source: MDPI