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According to a study published in the British Journal of Cancer, grapefruits contain chemical compounds that may affect the way estrogen is metabolized, leading to higher concentrations of the hormone — a known risk factor for breast cancer — in the bodies of postmenopausal women. Researchers are not yet sure how grapefruit consumption affects premenopausal women.

Those critical of this study, which put study participants in a 30 percent higher risk category after eating half of a grapefruit every other day, cite a pesticide problem. Even if hormonal factors are present, they say, it could be the pesticides responsible for the real risk.

Until all details are ironed out, women — especially those who have already had a form of breast cancer fueled by estrogen — should consider substituting other fruits. The American Cancer Society recommends eating five servings a day of a variety of fruits of vegetables to limit exposure to potentially harmful substances from any single food.

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