March 23, 2009

experts comment on research into red meat and health, as published in Archives of Internal Medicine

Researchers at the US National Cancer Institute have found additional evidence that eating large quantities of red and processed meat leads to a slightly elevated risk of death from a range of causes, including cancer and heart disease.

Glenys Jones, Nutritionist, MRC Centre for Human Nutrition Research, said:

“This research is consistent with a growing number of studies looking at processed and red meat intake and their relationship to ill-health although it must be taken into account that these studies are observational and therefore it is not possible to adjust for all potential confounding factors. Interventions, if they were carried out, would not only reduce meat intake but also subsequently increase vegetable, bean and pulse intake, and this would result in an increase in dietary fibre intake, which has been positively linked to health.

“Meat is a good source of bio-available iron and other nutrients and is an important part of the diet. Evidence points to a diet containing modest amounts of meat being more beneficial to optimal health than those containing high amounts, particularly of meats that are fatty, burnt or processed with added salt and nitrates. Therefore for high meat consumers a message of moderation should be projected. There are also environmental benefits of reducing meat intake, in that the carbon and oxygen embedded in meat production is extremely high and with a population of 9 billion to feed by 2050, meat intake will need to reduce to produce sustainable diets.”

Ed Yong, Health Information Manager, Cancer Research UK, said:

“We’re now in a position where two of the world’s largest studies on diet and cancer have found that people are more likely to develop some cancers, if they eat too much red or processed meat.

“No one’s saying that people should avoid bacon or burgers completely, but evidence from large studies like this tells us that cutting down on these foods can reduce the risk of dying from cancer and other diseases. In this new study, people eating the most meat were eating about 160g of red or processed meat per day – approximately a 6 oz steak – while those who ate the least were only getting about 25g per day – approximately a small rasher of bacon.

“To help reduce your risk of cancer, Cancer Research UK recommends a balanced diet high in fibre, fruit and vegetables and low in saturated fat, salt and red and processed meat.”