A new study conducted in southern Italy has stirred public concern by suggesting that consuming more than 300 grams of poultry—like chicken and turkey—per week could be linked to a 27% increase in all-cause mortality and a modest rise in gastrointestinal cancer risk. The findings, published in the journal Nutrients, challenge long-standing beliefs that poultry is a safer, healthier alternative to red meat.
But how worried should consumers really be? And could other factors be at play?
Experts urge caution: correlation does not mean causation
Dr. Wael Harb, a board-certified hematologist and oncologist, and Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic, emphasized that the study was observational and cannot establish a direct cause-effect relationship.
“The findings are interesting, but as this is an observational study, it doesn’t prove causation,” said Dr. Harb. “The broader body of evidence still supports moderate poultry consumption as part of a balanced diet.”
Kirkpatrick added that cancer risk is multifactorial, influenced by genetics, environment, age, inflammation, and other lifestyle habits like smoking or physical inactivity. “It’s not just about chicken,” she noted.
Cooking methods and food processing could be the real culprits
Both experts highlighted that how poultry is prepared may be a more significant risk factor than the poultry itself. High-heat cooking methods such as grilling or frying can produce carcinogenic compounds like heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
“A plain baked chicken breast is not the same as a breaded, deep-fried nugget,” said Kirkpatrick. “The level of processing and cooking method changes the health impact drastically.”
White meat vs red meat: is the health gap closing?
While chicken and turkey are traditionally considered leaner and healthier than red meat, newer studies—including one from 2019—suggest both types of meat may similarly affect cholesterol levels, especially LDL (“bad” cholesterol). The Italian study also did not specify whether the poultry was processed or fresh, making it harder to interpret the cancer risk clearly.
What should consumers do with this information?
Despite the alarming headlines, neither expert recommends eliminating poultry from your diet entirely. The current dietary guideline of 300 grams per week remains valid, especially when choosing skinless, minimally processed poultry prepared using healthy cooking methods like baking or steaming.
“For individuals with a family history of cancer or those who want to be extra cautious, reducing intake to around 200 grams and including more plant-based proteins or fatty fish is a sound strategy,” Dr. Harb advised.
What future research needs to explore
Experts agree that future studies should go deeper—examining factors such as cooking methods, meat processing, pesticide exposure, antibiotic and hormone use in poultry, and lifestyle habits like exercise. Gender-specific studies may also offer more nuanced insights, as this study showed slightly higher risks among men.
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