The Red Meat Debate – Is It Safe?

We have previously discussed the research that shows that red meat increases risk of developing bowel cancer (previous research indicated increased risk of over 60%). However, the there is now a debate between the British meat industry (which consists of the National Beef Association , the National Sheep Association and the National Farmers’ Union) and the World Cancer Research Fund.

Red meat has the potential to be very important in  our diet. It is a rich source of protein, which is essential for athletic development (muscles) and also contains iron, zinc and phosphorus, plus vitamins B12, thiamin and roboflavin. Red meat is also one of the best sources of a antioxidant called Alpha Lipoic Acid, and contains creatine, which also aids muscular growth.

In the report on bowel cancer published in 2007, the main concerns were surrounding processed red meats. Meats such as salami and ham are still considered to be very unhealthy, and pose great risk to health. The increased salt content, plus the additional saturated fat in salami, is bed for cardiovascular health.

However, there has been some criticism on the scientific method, and also on the filtering of data and ommission of research that dod not provide any conclusive link between red meat and increased risk of cancer.

In one study carried out by the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Oxford (EPIC-Oxford), subjects that consumed a vegetarian diet experienced more cases of bowel cancer than non-vegetarians.

“Our findings did come as something of a surprise. At the simplest level if meat causes colorectal cancer you would expect to see lower rates in the vegetarians, and we didn’t. It’s definitely a really tricky area. It’s an enigma – nobody knows the truth. We can be much clearer on the relationship between obesity and cancer, or alcohol and cancer, because it’s relatively easy to measure these things. Understanding the exact role specific foods play is much harder to quantify. There is a lot of evidence for meat, but it’s not completely compelling.” Professor Tim Key, Lead Reseacher on the Oxford study.

So the jury is still out on the meat debate. Our advice is this: eat lean red meat as part of a healthy balanced diet. Do not fry it, trim the fat, and avoid processed meats such as sausages and hams. Also do not consume it everyday, instead also eat plenty of poultry and fish, which also provide a rich source of protein and essential fats and minerals.

It seems that every month there is a new guideline, or a new scientific report, which turns what we already knew about healthy eating on its head. This is doing the same. When buying meat go for quality over quantity and enjoy it!

The World Cancer Research Fund Publications

The WCRF provides several publications that are available online, and are free to download. These provide invaluable advice on lifestyle choices for helping to reduce the risk of developing cancer.

Review and download them here: http://www.wcrf-uk.org/preventing_cancer/publications/download_publications.php

The following ebooks are are especially interesting:

Red and Processed Meat: Finding the Balance for Cancer Prevention

Solving the Diet-Cancer Mystery

Understanding Food Labels

Reducing Your Risk of Bowel Cancer

Reducing Your Risk of Breast Cancer

A Closer Look at: Dietary Supplements

A Closer Look at: Salt

Staying Lean for Cancer Prevention

Moving More for Cancer Prevention

No Comments »