Women who frequently eat red meat and processed meat are more likely to develop breast cancer, a British study has found. Women who are postmenopausal have an even greater risk of developing the cancer if they eat a lot of meat. The findings were published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Researchers at the University of Leeds followed more than 35,000 women between the ages of 35 and 69 for eight years and discovered that even small amounts of red meat, if consumed daily, greatly increased the women’s risk of developing breast cancer. The women who ate more than two ounces of red or processed meat each day were 56 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than women who refrained from eating red meat. Pre menopausal women who consumed high amounts of red meat were 20 percent more at risk than those who did not.

Researchers believe that saturated fat may be to blame for the link between red meat and breast cancer. There is evidence to suggest that saturate fat may promote the growth of tumor cells. Health experts connected to the study have stated that these findings further prove that women should decrease their intake of red meat and processed meat to protect their health.

For diet plans that are void of red meat check some of the Maintenance Diets on Diet Nation.