Specialists at the National Institute of Gastroenterology in Italy have challenged the widespread belief that poultry is inherently safer than red meat. After analyzing data from nearly 5,000 residents of the country’s southern regions, scientists found that over a 19-year follow-up period, participants who consumed over 300 grams of white meat per week had a 27% higher risk of death than those who limited their intake to under 100 grams.

Gastrointestinal cancer was a common cause of death. The study’s results were published in the journal Nutrients. It was noted that men were a more vulnerable group: for them, the association between the amount of poultry (primarily chicken) consumed and mortality began to emerge before age 60. The average age of death was 81.

The study’s authors emphasized that regular consumption of more than 100 grams of poultry per week was associated with increased overall mortality, including gastrointestinal cancer-related mortality. Moreover, the risk increased with portion size and, according to the researchers, was higher than with comparable amounts of red meat.

It was also found that the 108 participants who died from gastrointestinal cancer had the highest overall meat consumption—their diets included both white and red meats. Interestingly, moderate red meat consumption (approximately 150–250 grams per week), according to the authors, may even confer a protective effect.

Scientists suggest that the potential danger of poultry may be related to the cooking method. Prolonged cooking at high temperatures—for example, baking, braising, or grilling—promotes the formation of mutagenic compounds. Similar substances are also produced when steaks are deep-fried. Moreover, a previously proposed method to partially reduce the risks of red meat by adding leafy vegetables to the diet was ineffective for chicken, according to the study.

The authors recommend limiting poultry consumption and diversifying protein sources, such as fish. However, they clarified that they did not have complete information on the participants’ physical activity, which could have influenced the conclusions.

It has also been previously reported that people who regularly consume alcohol have a significantly higher risk of cerebrovascular accidents, by more than 100%, according to some data.