Teenage girls who eat a diet high in saturated fat are at increased risk of developing dense breasts, a study concludes. Dense breasts contain more fibrous and connective tissue than normal and are a risk factor for breast cancer.

Researchers studied 177 girls, ages 10 to 18 at the start of the study, who periodically filled out dietary recall questionnaires. The scientists measured breast density by M.R.I. when the members of the group were 25 to 29 years old. The study is in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Average dense breast volume in those in the lowest quarter for saturated fat intake was 16.4 percent, compared with 21.5 percent for those in the highest quarter.

Consumption of unsaturated fats had the opposite associations — the higher the consumption of unsaturated fats, the lower the average dense breast volume.

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Jeffrey R. Ungvary President