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We were also assigne questions 1-5 on excercise 26
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Red Meat Consumption linked to Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease
Monday, April 13th, 2009
Dr. Richard Beliveau
Once considered a delicacy reserved for special occasions, red meat has become a regular part of our diets -- and not always to our benefit.
Those who eat more red meat have a modestly increased risk of death from all causes, cancer or heart disease, according a recent study by the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
The survey -- the largest done to date on the impact of red meat on health -- looked at more than half a million people aged 50 to 71 over a 10-year period. The results were released in the March 23 edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
For years it has been known people who consume large quantities of red meat have an increased risk of contracting certain diseases, particularly colon cancer. This is caused by three main factors:
1) Grilled meat that has been charred on a barbecue contains carcinogens that can cause the genetic mutation of cells in the colon, which can develop into tumours.
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2) Red meat is an important source heme iron, a type of iron linked to the myoglobin in muscle tissue. In high doses, as is the case with frequent meat eaters, this type of iron can irritate the colon's mucous membrane and cause abnormal cell growth which can lead to cancer.
3) Frequent red meat eaters often have a poor diet of fruits and vegetables, food items that play a crucial role in protecting the body from cancer.
In the study, researchers scrutinized the eating habits of more than 545,000 people beginning in 1995.
The participants completed a food frequency questionnaire to estimate their intake of various meats and were then followed until 2005.
During that period, 47,976 men and 23,276 women died.
The researchers found that people who consumed more red meat, about the equivalent of a quarter-pound (115 g) per day, had a 22% greater risk of dying prematurely from cancer and a 27% greater risk of death related to a heart ailment compared to those who ate less than a quarter-pound of red meat per week.
The correlation between red meat and cardiovascular disease seemed more prominent amongst women, with frequent meat eaters having a 50% greater risk of dying from a heart-related problem compared to women who rarely ate meat. Interestingly, these negative effects were not observed with white meat such as poultry and fish; those who ate these types of meat actually had a reduced risk (15-20%) of dying from cancer or cardiovascular disease.
It's important to keep in mind these observations do not mean red meat should be completely cut out of diets.
The delicious taste of these meats has been used for millenniums to add taste to soups and gravies as well as to dishes such as couscous, stews and different types of Asian stir-fries. It would be a shame to have to give it up completely.
Still, the recommendations of the World Cancer Research Fund are to reduce our intake of red meat to 500 g per week and to add other sources of protein such as fish and legumes to diversify our diets and improve our health.
