Cadmium in Diet Related to Risk of Breast Cancer

Cadmium, a toxic metal present in most farm fertilisers, in our diets can lead to a greater risk of breast cancer .
Due to a high accumulation in agricultural crops the main sources of dietary cadmium are bread, cereals, potatoes, root crops and vegetables. These foods are thought to be healthy .
For the purposes of the study, Akesson and colleagues, based in Sweden, observed 55,987 women for more than a decade.
They estimated the dietary cadmium exposure by use of a food frequency questionnaire. Over the two year follow-up period, researchers observed 2,112 incidences of breast cancer.
Cadmium consumption was divided into three groups with the highest levels of exposure compared with the lowest. A greater exposure to cadmium through diet was related to a 21 per cent increase in breast cancer. For slim and normal weight women, the higher risk was 27 per cent.
Akesson stated that women who ate higher amounts of whole grain and vegetables had a reduced risk of breast cancer in contrast to women exposed to dietary cadmium via other foods.
A healthy diet counteracts the negative effect of cadmium, yet this has to be confirmed with further research.