Women may be placed at risk of breast cancer because of growing levels of the chemical cadmium in some "healthy" foods, researchers warned yesterday.
Swedish researchers say many foods may come from farmland contaminated through fertiliser or pollution.
A study at the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, claims that cadmium consumption is linked to a 21 per cent increased risk of developing breast cancer.
The findings, published in the journal Cancer Research, come from a 12 year study involving nearly 56,000 women.
The researchers had to estimate the amount of cadmium in the diet based on the foods that women ate.
They claim that potatoes, root crops, vegetables and bread are all at risk of contamination.
The researchers said that cadmium seemed to pose a greater risk to women who are not overweight – and was linked to a 27 per cent increased risk among these women.
Researcher Dr Agneta Åkesson said: "Because of a high accumulation in agricultural crops, the main sources of dietary cadmium are bread and other cereals, potatoes, root crops and vegetables.
"In general, these foods are also considered healthy."
Cancer Research March 15 2012 72:1459-1466; doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-11-0735
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