Last updated 24 November 2011
People who regularly eat beef mince or processed meat appear to be more likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer, scientists say.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, studied the meat-eating habits of approximately 1,000 men.
They discovered that those with a high intake of ground beef or processed meat were more likely to develop prostate cancer and had a heightened risk of an aggressive form of the disease.
Grilling and barbequing were also found to be associated with an increased risk.
The findings, which are published in the journal PLoS One, may be due to the higher levels of cancer-causing chemicals that occur when meat is prepared in this way.
'Higher intake of well-done grilled or barbequed red meat and ensuing carcinogens could increase the risk of aggressive prostate cancer,' the study authors concluded.
Known risk factors for prostate cancer include age, a family history of the disease and racial background, with black and mixed-race men having a greater risk than white and Asian men.
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/interactive/news/meat-consumption-linked-to-prostate-cancer--id801220552-t116.html
