Scientists claim just 10 ounces of popular 'health' food item per week 'could kill you'

A staple ingredient that features in the large majority of people's diets may actually be causing us more harm than good, according to a recent study.

We are all trying to eat a bit healthier, whether that be watching our calorie consumption or regular sugar intake.

Of course, there's been ton of research into what could be considered the 'healthiest' meal of all, however, it seems that even what we might consider to be good for our bodies might not be after all.

And when it comes to a relatively low-calorie meal, some may turn to the 'chicken and broccoli' diet for help. And, according to Statista, the average person in the US consumes around 100 pounds of chicken a year.

According to WebMD, the health benefits of chicken include being a good source of protein, as well as being full of amino acids which contribute to building muscle tissue.

However, like with all good things in life, everything is better in moderation, as a recent study has suggested that eating too much chicken could have some repercussions.

Consuming loads of chicken isn't that good for you (Getty stock)

Researchers in Italy have discovered a possible link between the consumption of chicken and gastrointestinal cancer.

The paper, titled 'Does Poultry Consumption Increase the Risk of Mortality for Gastrointestinal Cancers? A Preliminary Competing Risk Analysis', saw 4,869 people take part in the study.

"Analyzing weekly poultry consumption, it was observed that subjects consuming more than 300 g had a 27% higher risk of death from all causes than those consuming less than 100 g." the study says.

"Our study showed that poultry consumption above 300 g/week is associated with a statistically significant increased mortality risk both from all causes and from GCs."

While they weren't sure of the exact cause, they believe it could be something to do with either the way chickens kept and fed, while also suggesting it could have something to do with overcooking chicken - which could create high levels of mutagens, substances that come either in chemical or physical form that could cause genetic mutations.

The research suggests that consuming over 300g per week has some possible links to some cancers (Getty stock)

The researchers also found that the mortality risk was higher amongst men than women.

"However, further studies are needed to confirm our findings and learn more about the effects of processed poultry. In our opinion, it is important to learn more about the long-term effects of this food category, white meat, that is widely consumed by the world population who, perhaps mistakenly, consider it healthy in absolute terms." they added.

"We believe it is beneficial to moderate poultry consumption, alternating it with other equally valuable protein sources, such as fish.

"We also believe it is essential to focus more on cooking methods, avoiding high temperatures and prolonged cooking times."