• Consuming more than 300 grams of poultry per week may lead to an increase in all-cause deaths and cancers, according to a new study.
• The findings contradict existing research and are being approached with caution by experts.
• Poultry is widely considered a healthier protein source and a cornerstone of healthy eating plans like the Mediterranean diet.
• Factors that could affect mortality rates and cancer incidence were not considered in the study, prompting calls for further investigation.

A surprising new study of people in southern Italy suggests that consuming excess poultry, widely considered a healthier animal protein source, may be associated with all-cause mortality and gastrointestinal cancers.

The study’s results largely conflict with previous research and conventional wisdom. Poultry is generally considered a healthy protein source and a mainstay of healthy-diet plans, including the well-regarded Mediterranean diet.

The United States Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), 2020–2025, recommends up to 26 ounces of protein foods, including lean meats, poultry, and eggs, per week, without specific limits on each.

The new research, however, suggests that consuming more than 300 grams (10.5 ounces) of poultry per week may be associated with a 27% increased risk of all-cause mortality compared to consuming 100 grams (3.5 ounces) per week or less.

The findings also suggest that eating more than 300 grams of poultry per week increased the overall risk of gastrointestinal cancers in the study population by 2.3%. Specifically for men, the observed risk increased to 2.6%.

For some time, consuming red and processed meats has been considered a risk factor for cancer, as described by the World Cancer Research Fund.

Little evidence indicates a similar association with poultry until this study, which appears in the journal Nutrients.

“This study is very thought-provoking,” said Nilesh L. Vora, MD, medical director of the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, CA. “Possibly for the first time, white meat consumption needs to be considered a potential risk factor for gastrointestinal cancer,” Vora, who was not involved in the study, told Healthline.

The study and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) consider poultry to include chicken, turkey, duck, geese, guineas, and game birds such as quail and pheasant.

Is chicken a healthy protein choice?

The study used data from survey responses from 4,869 middle-aged Italian individuals from Castellana Grotte and Putignano (Apulia, Italy).

Participants self-reported their consumption of red meat and white meat (poultry) based on their recollections of what they had been eating.

No information was captured regarding their physical activity levels, which may affect their mortality or cancer risk. This is an essential factor to consider and warrants further study.

Still, some experts expressed concern about the findings.

“I think the findings are quite astonishing given that we have a lot of evidence that the Mediterranean diet in particular is healthy and reduces the risk of getting cardiovascular disease and cancers,” said Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD, surgical oncologist,chief of medicine, and director of the Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Program at Providence Saint John’s Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, CA. Bilchik wasn’t involved in the study.

“This study is quite alarming to say the least,” he told Healthline. “I think that the study needs to certainly be looked at in more detail.”

“Poultry is generally considered a healthier protein option than red meat,” noted Michelle Routhenstein, MS, a registered dietitian specializing in heart disease who was not involved in the study.

“Poultry has lower saturated fat and produces less TMAO [a chemical produced by the gut], a compound linked to arterial stiffness and increased cancer risk. Further research is needed to confirm these results and explore the underlying mechanisms before revising dietary guidelines,” Routhenstein told Healthline.

Some forms of poultry unhealthier than others

The study’s authors note that various potential factors they have not accounted for need to be considered before the full implications of their findings can be understood.

The study “doesn’t establish causality,” cautioned Routhenstein.

“It is a large sample size, which is always important, but I’m looking [for] specifics as to other risk factors associated with poultry,” Bilchik noted.

For instance, the study did not capture the source of the poultry consumed. Pesticides are used in some geographic areas, potentially affecting the healthfulness of plant and animal crops.

Additionally, industrially raised poultry has its own risks. “The use of antibiotics and hormones in some poultry farming practices raises potential long-term health concerns,” Routhenstein said.

“Studies should also examine biological mechanisms of poultry consumption, such as the role of certain cooking methods, meat preparation, and dietary patterns (e.g., fiber intake),” she added.

Poultry’s cooking time and temperature may also influence its healthiness.

“It’s been hypothesized that the cooking of the poultry may result in the release of mutagenic or cancer-causing chemicals,” pointed out Bilchik.

He noted that although this is just a hypothesis, it is inarguably the case that there are many ways in which poultry is prepared, any of which may influence its final chemical composition.

Routhenstein said it’s known that “high-heat cooking methods, like grilling or frying, produce harmful compounds (HCAs and PAHs) linked to cancer.”

Finally, the study did not track the degree to which the poultry consumed was processed. Like other processed meats, processed poultry-based foods, such as deli turkey slices and chicken hot dogs, typically contain curing agents and other unhealthy additives.

Should you stop eating chicken?

Bilchik noted that consuming red meat with vegetables may mitigate some of the health hazards associated with it.

He suggested that it may not just be poultry that warrants a closer look. “We also need to explore other sources of protein, such as fish. [It] may be prepared in a similar way to poultry.”

“I think the study is very provocative given that we’ve moved toward poultry as being much healthier for us, and moved away from red meat,” Bilchik added.

Routhenstein recommended focusing on the overall quality of diet, including “portion size, what you are pairing poultry with, and avoiding overconsumption.”

A healthy portion size, Routhenstein said, is around 200 grams (7 ounces) per week of lean, unprocessed poultry.

It’s also a good idea to choose healthier cooking methods like baking, steaming, or roasting without excessive added fats, which can further minimize potential health risks, she concluded.