Red meat 'linked to cancer risk'

Major study has found fresh evidence of a link between red and processed meat and bowel cancer, scientists say.
The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) looked at the dietary habits of over 500,000 people across Europe over 10 years.

Bowel cancer risk was a third higher for those who regularly ate over two 80g portions of red or processed meat a day, compared to less than one a week.

EPIC's study is reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Since it began, 1,330 people have developed bowel cancer.

The study also found a low fibre diet increased the risk of bowel cancer.

Eating poultry had no impact but the risk for people who ate one portion or more of fish every other day was nearly a third lower than those who ate fish less than once a week.

Strong evidence

Lead researcher Professor Sheila Bingham, of the MRC Dunn Human Nutrition Unit in Cambridge, said: "People have suspected for some time that high levels of red and processed meat increase risk of bowel cancer, but this is one of the largest studies worldwide and the first from Europe of this type to show a strong relationship."

Professor Bingham said there were several theories about why red meat should increase the risk of bowel cancer.

She believes the most likely explanation is that compounds called haemoglobin and myoglobin, which are found in red meat, trigger a process called nitrosation in the gut, which leads to the formation of carcinogenic compounds.

Alternatively, the problem might be caused by compounds called heterocyclic amines, carcinogenic compounds created in the cooking process.

However, these compounds are also found in poultry, which has not been linked to an increased cancer risk.

Professor Tim Key, of the charity Cancer Research UK, said: "This study strengthens evidence that bowel cancer risk can be cut by increasing fibre in the diet and reducing consumption of red and processed meat."

The researchers defined red meat as beef, lamb, pork and veal.

Processed meat was mostly pork and beef that were preserved by methods other than freezing. They include ham, bacon, sausages, liver pate, salami, tinned meat, luncheon meat and corned beef.

The Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) said people in Britain ate well below the 160g per day consumption levels that were used to class high intake in the study.

Mike Attenborough, MLC technical director, said: "Once again this points towards the need for moderation and balance in what we eat."

The study was funded by the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4088824.stm

Wow, I know this right here just hit me! I love red meat but I don't eat it all the time. My daughter and I are the only ones in the house now. And she is practically vegatarian. So no red meat for her. The only thing she likes is chicken and some fish. I guess it is saving us from bowel cancer. I just wish Americans wouldn't eat so much meat all the time. Vegatables are just as good if you season them right. I am glad you put this out here. It is very informative. I will probably tell my family,because colon cancer and bowel cancer runs in our family.

I've only ever eaten chicken and turkey anyway.. But my friends and family eat a lot of red meat, almost every day... =/

So why don't you eat red meat?

Oh I also heard this iif you char you meat to where it is burnt this is also carcinogenic.

I mean people think OMG you can't eat steak with any pink just well done and crisp. Well they are doomed.

***This is rather a gross story about why I do not eat red meat; do not read if you just ate, or plan to eat***

I am serious...really gross...

I warned you...


******************************************************************


I had a call the last week(I am a firefighter), in which a man was crossing a train trestle and didn't realize that an Amtrak train was headed his way at 80 miles an hour until it was too late...

Needless to say after being hit and flying over 120 feet through the trees on the side of the tracks he was rather dead, and not all...configured like he once was.

The coroner showed up and needed help in order to get the parts we could find back up on the road so that he could transport to the morgue. I ended up being the guy that rapelled down the embankment with the body bag. Without getting into to much detail; after putting everything in one bag and getting it lifted back up the cliff I realized that there is really no difference between the smell of raw beef and the smell of raw people(for lack of a better term).

I got off shift about 2 hours after that call, and when I got home my wife was cutting up some steaks for dinner; it turned my stomach when I smelled it, and politely passed on the steak for dinner...

Oy

just for those that think chicken is a better choice.

Well I only have chicken about once a month, sometimes not even that ... But I can live without chicken and other meat anyway.

And my diet is very much all about getting the most nutrients in the least amount of calories. I make sure that I get an Optimal Daily Allowance ( which is above RDA ) of all vitamins, minerals and EFA's mostly from Foods Vegetables and fruits everyday and I supplement what I fall short on.

Also I use stuff High In ANTIOXIDANTS such as Green Tea which is known to protect against a broad range of diseases. Also Coenzyme Q which is another antioxidant.

I do not know if I am at risk of anything serious by having 1 glass of milk with WHEY PROTEIN Powder and a fruit low fat yogurt a day . considering how 'healthy' my diet is in comparison to the average person. and I'm pretty certain than I wont be getting ovarian cancer!

Found something else on dairy too..



What are the risks involved here? as we know with a major study that showed people who dont drink green tea have 80% more risk of developing this cancer... I drink 5-7 cups of green tea a day.

Also on the web page it also mentions about how china and japan have less disease ( they also live the longest and have less cancer deaths ) This has been somewhat linked to the high intake of Green Tea in that part of the world..

If there is enough evidence to supprt these and that I would be at risk then I would adjust my diet, of course.

--

Also meet my chicken... Had it for around 3-4 years and lives out the garden with the dog and rabbits !



I'd never eat my chicken !

i think the main problem is processed meat. so polony (balony) or any kind of sandwich/pressed meats, and fast food meats are the main culpret.. also, if ppl eat nothing but this plop.. and have kids, they are passing on their food knowledge (or lack thereof) of foods and food groups..which is why there is a lot of obesity, diabetes etc. and not enough kids reaching for an apple or a carrot to snack on instead of a hamburger
ppl still need to eat meat (by their own choice). but good meat, steaks, etc.. real meat, not the lips and ar$3h0l3s that they buy from the local supermakets
i admittedly dont each much in the way of red-meat.. but if i crave it, its because my body is needing a certain element (being iron) so i'll have it. more than likely in a stir fry where i can throw in a pile of veggies too
a lot of this stuff is a crock tho.. at one stage they were saying that green apples were carcinogenic too.

the "real" modern threats form meat occur prior to processing (not that you are incorrect about the processed meats). the use of steroids and antibiotics in animals, along with the use of herbicides and pesticides (the acceptable levels of which are much higher in animal grade feeds than human grade feeds). if these four things were removed from the "meat" industry, the majority of the cancer risks would be reduced.

if you are going to eat meats, minimize the conusmption of it (based on it being an acid-forming food), and choose your sources wisely (organic free range animals).

Omg Well I am going Vegan like you Hyper. No more meat for this girl. I can't handle it. I guess. I will just have to eat like a cow. Grass. Well maybe an occasional salt lick. No for real this is scarey. I ate no meat so far today so is this a start. I ate some cream cheese though.

So all my beautiful meat is bad for me? Well the green tea should balance that out, right?

nope. unfortunately it doesn't work that way.

We'll you only live once... so BOO!

there is a song about that by some country singer geezers called something along the lines of "you're still gonna die". quite funny actually.

Well its not entirely true that there is nothing you can do. As I posted up above... You can greatly minimize these risks by other factor in your diet. Like many of the foods I eat are great at inhibit cancer cell growth. I also eat many foods that are anti inflammatory ( protecting against many diseases including bowel cancer )

As research shows, Japan is one of the countries with the MOST smokers and yet they have the highest life expectancy and lowest lung cancer death rate. Studies show that smokers who drink green tea are 50% less likely of developing lung cancer.

Another report shows Frequent consumption of green tea also decreases the risk of stomach cancer by 48 percent, according to a study published in 2001.
http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=32090

Olive oil can also protect or reduce the risk of getting bowl cancer a study done a few years back shows..

"Bowl Cancer: Research today from the University of Oxford shows that olive oil decreases the amount of bile acid and promotes the constant relining of the bowl. Other researches have shown that people who get their fat from olive oil can halve their chances of getting colon cancer, which is Brittain’s second biggest cancer killer.

When scientists at the University of Barcelona fed olive oil to one group of rats and then tried to induce bowl tumours, only half as many developed cancer compared with those in a group which had not been given the oil."

So its not like there is nothing you can do

whoa... diet is very important. however, the concept of one food negating the effects of another is a little bit hit and miss. there are many negatives found in foods that are not "countered". the research is still inconclusive on many of these effects. the safest approach is to minimize consumption of harmful materials in the first place than to "hope" you take enough counter-materials to fend off the effects.

"an ounce of prevention...."

Ya know, I cannot sit here and name one thing that we consume that I have not at one time or another heard that it could cause cancer. I'td everything now a days.

well, i have not heard anything bad about these goodies (yes i mean that seriously):

kale
collards
asparagus
chard
broccolli

I drink black tea everyday with no sugar. It's healthier than coffee because it has a lot less caffeine and black tea with no sugar is good for the teeth.

green tea, black tea... if only i could handle the taste of tea!

I dont like the taste of it much but I have like 5 cups of green tea a day ! lol

Just get lemon or mint Green tea or whatever you like

I don't like tea but Green tea with lemon is all I drink.... well the only hot drink.

Green tea has a bit of a sting initially but you grows on you however green tea with lemon, tiy can't beat it, i used to wake up and want a coffee but not anymore.

i rarely drink milk. i often have cheese and sometimes yogurt.

i love my meat though especially a nice beef steak. ill still eat it. i will die anyway, so why not eat the things you love

No thats not what happens. This is the problem you see... You don't just die.

People that neglect their health have long years of bad and chronic health problems that lead to a slow decline in physical and mental ability. You then take up the resources and money to keep you on drugs for the last years of your life.

Where as a healthy person that took all the right choices would usually stay well and fit and independant right up untill the last few days they die. They don't usually go on a decline in health as persons that dont look after themselves.

jeepers, what the hell isn't linked to cancer these days, it'll be the drinking water next....

It's no surprise that 'everything' causes cancer these days, considering that we're putting tons of chemicals into our bodies on a daily basis with everything from shampoo to air pollution.

We're all at risk when it comes to getting cancer, but certain foods can put certain people at a higher risk than others.

more accurately we all get cancer, as in cancer cells form in all of us. it is a question of how our bodies deal with these mutated cells.

diet is about providing the best possible odds for your genetic make-up.

Water.. I should be safe then.. Phew.

Welll you should be drinking filtered water

lol

My favorite cancer-burger is the Wendy's Flamethrower. Yummmmmmy!.

Darn, the way WHOA 182 talks any one over 50 or 60 years old is surplus people.

I hope you dont have a future in Politics, or the people in Nursing Homes are done for.