Ready-made sauces boost tumour risk to women
HOME cooks who do not make their entire meals from scratch could be almost tripling their risk of getting the most aggressive form of breast cancer, a study claims.
Scientists have warned against turning to convenient ready-made sauces, such as those used on pasta dishes, and industrially produced baked goods.
They have been found to be part of a socalled ‘inflammatory diet’, along with red and processed meat, high-fat dairy products and eggs. A study of almost 2,000 women by Spanish researchers found those who ate the most inflammatory foods were 39 per cent more likely to develop breast cancer than those who ate the least.
And they were 2.72 times more likely to develop the triple-negative type, which is much more aggressive and difficult to treat.
The key may be to make your own food from scratch, the study suggests. Foods such as onions, garlic and tomatoes, which are found in home-made pasta sauces, are anti-inflammatory and may reduce breast cancer risk.
Professor Adela Castello, who led the study at Carlos III Health Institute in Spain, said: ‘Some of the most inflammatory dietary components are present in pasta, rice and flour, and bad fats such as cholesterol, saturated fats and trans fats, present in convenience food, industrial baking and sauces.’
But she said only women who eat large amounts of unhealthy food need to worry.
Dr Emma Pennery, from Breast Cancer Care, described the findings as ‘intriguing’. But she added: ‘There’s a long way to go until we’ve connected the dots to properly understand the effect a high inflammatory diet might have on breast cancer risk.’