THE LINK BETWEEN RED MEAT AND

CANCER

Integrative Medicine

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Doctors have long warned that a diet rich in red

meat can cause various cancers including those of

the colon and pancreas, but there has been minimal

evidence for its role in breast cancer – until now!

The study, published in the British Medical

Journal, used data from women between the

ages of 26 and 45 who took part in the

Nurses’ Health Study II. They completed

questionnaires about their diet every four

years from 1991 to 2007 and were asked

how frequently they ate certain foods.

The study involved 88,803 women over a 20 year

period.

The findings stated that eating high amounts of

red meat increases risk of breast cancer by 22%.

At the end of the study there were 2,830 cases of

breast cancer reported during the 20 years.

The researchers from Harvard School of Public

Health concluded that replacing red meat with a

combination of beans, peas and lentils, poultry, nuts,

and fish may reduce the risk in younger women.

Possible mechanisms of tumour

promotion

SATURATED FAT IN MEAT

The commonly proposed link is that red meat

contains more saturated fat, which can raise

levels of cholesterol and hormones which

can cause tumours

NEU5GC

Neu5Gc is a type of glycan that humans

don't naturally produce, but that can be

incorporated into human tissues as a result

of eating red meat. Tumour tissues contain

much more Neu5Gc than is usually found in

normal human tissues.

NITROSO- COMPOUNDS

Red meat contains high levels of heme iron

(the "red" in red meat), which has a catalytic

effect on the endogenous formation of

carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds and on

the formation of cytotoxic and genotoxic

aldehydes by lipoperoxidation.

PROCESSED MEATS

Processed meats contain nitrites and sodium.

A meta-analysis found high ingestion of red and

processed meat to be positively associated with

increased risk for colorectal adenoma. The cohort

examined associations of meat intake with incident

cancer at different sub-sites within the colon in

84,538 women, finding that high processed red

meat intake (especially sausages) was associated

with increased risk for cancer of the proximal colon,

distal colon, and rectum

HIGH TEMPERATURE COOKING

Cooking meat at high temperatures or on an open flame produces heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are potent carcinogens.

A study previously demonstrated a dose-dependent effect of red meat intake on colon cancer, the etiologically relevant compound in cooked meat was thought to be HCAs. However, grilled and fried chicken contain much higher levels of HCAs than beef, but the intake of poultry is not related to cancer.

Important details of the Harvard study

The study found:

1. That a higher intake of red meat products

during early adulthood was associated with

a 22% increased risk of breast cancer.

2. Conversely, a higher intake of poultry during

early adulthood was associated with a lower

incidence of breast cancer in

postmenopausal women

3. That a higher intake of red meat was associated

with higher risk of breast cancer among a large

group of US female nurses.

4. The studies strengths include the large

population size, the study’s prospective nature

and the fact there was a relatively long follow-up

period (20 years).

Limitations of the Harvard study

The participants were predominantly white, educated US females, so caution should be taken when generalising the findings to other races or ethnic groups

Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, which relied on participants recalling their dietary intake over the previous year. It is likely that participants did not accurately report their dietary intake, which introduces some measurement bias

The researchers adjusted their results for multiple confounders (e.g. Family history of breast cancer and smoking); however, it is possible that other factors, which the researchers did not take into account, could have affected results

The findings related to substituting foods are estimates only and may not reflect actual effects of protein substitution

Discussion

There is accumulating evidence regarding the

link between red meat and cancer see

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It is important to note that this is only one study and needs to be interpreted alongside the wider body of current evidence related to dietary factors and cancer risk.

We should acknowledge that there is a continual, growing body of scientific evidence that highlights the health risks of eating processed meat.

The Harvard study looked at un-processed meats therefore we need to consider:

The study did not distinguish how the cows are farmed. Surely the use of antibiotics, hormones, and non-grass-fed cows could be detrimental to the health of the consumer.

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In preparing the meat for sale some retailers use of

anhydrous ammonia, carbon and carbon monoxide gas

injections. These can also have health implications

Research has shown that regular high temperature

cooking such as grilling and barbecues can have

carcinogenic effects due to the Heterocyclic amines

(HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Consider plant-based diets which have been shown

to reverse several diseases such a s obesity, diabetes,

hypertension.

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IF IN DOUBT FOLLOW THE WORLD CANCER

RESEARCH FUND GUIDELINES

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Guidelines

The research showed that eating a lot of red

meat (beef, lamb, pork and goat)increases

the risk of bowel cancer. Eating up to 500g

(cooked weight) of red meat per week does

not significantly raise cancer risk. Eating

more than this, however, does increase your

risk of bowel cancer.

Guidelines

Red meat is a good source of nutrients

including protein, iron and zinc. However, it

is important to remember that eating a varied

diet that contains less red meat can still

provide you with all the vitamins and

minerals you need.

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Guidelines

Always try to keep the serving size small –

the recommendation is a limit of 500g

(cooked weight) per week.

That means you could have three meals with

150g of red meat each. Or you could plan six

meals, each with an 80g serving.

Guidelines

There is strong evidence that eating

processed meat is linked to an increased risk

of bowel cancer.

Research shows that the risk is higher than

the risk linked to fresh red meat.

Even eating a small amount of processed

meat on a regular basis increases our bowel

cancer risk.

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Resources

Further information for guiding Family Physicians on dietary

guidelines for their patients suffering from chronic ailments can

be found at:

WWW.SMARTFAMILYDOCTOR.COM

APPLE A DAY RX APP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWi4nkZMdCU

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This medical app has been designed primarily a

resource tool to inform medical doctors of the level

of scientific evidence for complementary medicines

and therapies, including potential interactions with

pharmaceutical medicines with the ultimate aim of

formulating comprehensive patient-centred

management plans.

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Ray S Noronha BSc Hons

I worked for over 14 years with eminent scientists as a front line medical researcher for a top-flight pharmaceutical company in the areas of Oncology, Asthma, Neurodegeneration, Arthritis, Atheroma and Immunosuppression.

In the last 12 years I have been working with medical doctors as a practitioner of Ayurveda, Remedial Massage, Indian Neurotherapy, Homotoxicology, Yoga and Spiritual Counseling in Integrated Medicine Centres in Germany, Canada, UK and Australia.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT

www.smartfamilydoctor.com ‘Integrative healthcare solutions for Family Doctors”

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