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Glutton for mutton?

There is bad news for those who eat red meat or processed meat regularly. The largest study ever conducted on the relationship between red meat and cancer risk shows elevated risks for colorectal and lung cancer with both meat types. Red, but not pro cessed, meat intake also increased the risk for oesophageal and liver cancer.

The link between red meat and cancer is not new, but this study, “The NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study”, is awesome in its scale and comprehensiveness. It studied the dietary habits of nearly 500,000 people aged 50-71 years, and the results are chilling even for those who eat small amounts of meat daily. Among the 53,396 cancer diagnoses in the study population, the average meat intake was a paltry 34.6 g per 1,000 kcal.

This is around 100 gm of meat for some one who takes 3000 kcal per day. As any kebab buff knows, 100 gm is nothing.

According to the study, one in ten colorectal and one in ten lung cancers are preventable if people reduced their meat intake to around 30 gm per day. The one good news is that red or processed meat does not increase the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, or gastric, prostate or breast cancer.

How does meat cause cancer? Both types of meat are rich in saturated fat and haeme iron, which independently increase the risk of cancer. Haeme iron contributes to cancer by generating free radicals. Meat also contains carcinogens like N-nitroso compounds (NOCs), heterocyclic amines (HCAs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Nitrite-preserved meats are especially rich in carcinogens.

Eating ten servings of fresh fruit and vegetables a day reduces the risk of acquiring many types of cancers. However, if you must indulge regularly, fish is the safest and most healthful option.

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