How much meat to eat so as not to get cancer

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Scientists have made an unexpected discovery: processed meat - sausages or bacon - causes cancer, and red meat is a likely cause of the development of the disease. We'll tell you what this means and why you shouldn't panic.

Hot dogs, sausages, and bacon all cause colon cancer, while pork, beef and lamb are more likely to be carcinogenic meats. This conclusion was reached by an international team of experts after analyzing more than 800 scientific papers that revealed the connection between cancer and the use of processed or red meat by the population of different countries.

The Washington Post has already christened the discovery as one of the most aggressive attacks against meat consumption by major health associations and has predicted a barrage of criticism in the United States. Nevertheless, the scientists themselves ask not to rush to give up meat and not to exaggerate the scale of the results obtained.

What scientists relied on

It all started when, in 2014, research into the effects of eating red meat and meat products was highlighted as a high priority by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Scientists have found "enough evidence" to show that eating processed meat causes bowel cancer. What is Processed Meat? This is meat that has undergone salting, canning, fermentation, smoking and other processing that enhances the taste or increases the storage time. All this scientists have identified in the first group - substances that are carcinogenic to humans. It is worth noting that smoking also belongs to the first category, but this does not mean that it is equivalent to meat in its action.

With red meat, the situation is slightly different. It is a possible cause of stomach and pancreatic cancer. Nevertheless, this connection is much more difficult for scientists to prove, as a result of which these types of meat were attributed to the second category - to products that, on the basis of "limited evidence", are recognized as carcinogenic to humans.

It should be understood that "sufficient evidence" is the results of experiments on animals, studies of human nutrition and health and so-called mechanical causes, such as the cellular mechanism of cancer. By "limited evidence," the scientists mean that red meat is likely carcinogenic to humans, as there are studies that have shown a link between meat consumption and the development of colorectal cancer.

How dangerous is meat

According to the latest estimates, around 34,000 cancer deaths worldwide are attributed to the excessive consumption of processed meat. A menu with a high content of red meat is also harmful, but in the absence of direct evidence, scientists refer to approximate figures - 50,000 deaths per year. By comparison, smoking causes more than a million deaths, and excessive alcohol consumption about 600,000.

The risk of developing colorectal cancer from processed meat is very small, but increases in proportion to the amount consumed. To be precise, eating 50 grams of processed meat daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%, and 100 grams of red meat increases the risk by 17%.

According to research by scientists, out of every 1,000 people in the UK, 61 people may develop intestinal cancer at some stage in their lives. With a decrease in the amount of meat products consumed, the risk also decreases - 56 cases for every thousand people who eat a minimum of meat. The converse is also true: among 1,000 people who eat a lot of processed meat, 10 more cases of bowel cancer are expected than in the previous study group.

The fact is that meat contains various components, such as the non-protein part of hemoglobin, which negatively affect human health. In addition, during the processing of meat and its preparation, chemical compounds harmful to the body are formed.

So how much meat can you eat?

According to the director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer Christopher Wild, the findings confirmed the need to limit meat consumption. At the same time, red meat has nutritional value, which means that things are not so simple and international regulators will have to assess the risks and adjust recommendations for healthy eating.

Experts advise not only to reduce meat consumption, but also to improve its quality and add a lot of whole grains and vegetables to the diet: the fiber they contain prevents the development of cancer.

Thus, meat rich in protein, iron and zinc should not be excluded from the diet. It is only important to use it not too much and often.

The consumption rate for red and processed meat is no more than 500 grams per week or 70 grams per day.

If you are used to eating more, replace red meat with chicken, turkey, or fish and add fiber to them: fruits and vegetables. Or consider vegetarianism.