DOES MEAT MATTER? for Cancer

DOES MEAT MATTER? for Cancer

‘Red meat consumption increases risk of death from heart disease and cancer
up to twenty percent,’ reads the title of an article published in April 2012 on
Natural News.43

I bet you are not shocked. I also bet you will not now rush to your freezer
and throw out that leg of lamb and T-bone steak. Why? Because you have
probably heard it all before. There are simply too many headlines and too
many articles making similar or contradictory claims, begging us to look at
our diets. Today red meat is the problem, tomorrow dairy, and the next day
sugar. We cannot fight this tide of advice, this wave of information. Instead,
we let it wash over us and continue living the way that suits us best.

However, the fact that the ACS recommends limiting consumption of
processed meat and red meat is significant. In 2012 it reported: ‘Studies have
shown that individuals who eat more processed and red meat, potatoes,
refined grains and sugar-sweetened beverages and foods are at a higher risk of
developing or dying from a variety of cancers, and that consuming a diet that
contains a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and fish or poultry
and fewer red and processed meats is associated with lower risk.’44

The question of the effects of the consumption of red meat and meat in
general cannot be overlooked in modern society. According to Natural News,
researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have cast an alarming light
on red meat. Following a twenty-two-year study of red meat consumption, it
was found that ‘red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of
total, cardiovascular and cancer mortality and the substituting of other
healthy protein sources, such as fish, poultry, nuts and legumes, was
associated with a lower risk of mortality’. The findings were based on two
studies of over 37 000 men and 83 000 women, all of whom had no signs of
cancer or cardiovascular disease at the beginning of the study. ‘For the
duration of the two studies, a total of 23 962 deaths were recorded with 5 910
from cardiovascular disease and 9 464 from cancer. From the results, regular
consumption of red meats, especially processed meats such as sausage, hot
dogs and luncheon meats was associated with a significant increased
mortality risk. A daily serving of unprocessed red meat (the size of a deck of
cards) was found to increase mortality by 13 per cent. Processed meat
consumption (the equivalent of one hot dog each day) increased death risk
from all causes by 20 per cent.’45 The researchers concluded that choosing
more healthy sources of protein, rather than consuming red meat, would
reduce chronic disease morbidity and mortality, and improve health.

These findings are not new or unusual. In September 2012, The Telegraph
ran a story that claimed halving meat consumption ‘would cut heart disease
and cancer rates’.46 The article was based on research done by Cambridge
University researchers and published in the journal BMJ Open. They
calculated that if men cut their daily intake of red or processed meat from an
average of 91 g to 53 g (the equivalent of a large burger to a small burger), it
would result in a 12 per cent reduction in bowel cancer cases. In addition,
there would be 12 per cent fewer cases of Type 2 diabetes and 10 per cent fewer
of coronary heart disease. They also found that if women ate 30 g of red or
processed meat a day, rather than the average of about 54 g, bowel cancer
cases would drop by nearly 8 per cent.

It is no longer simply about health either, as many are now making
arguments about the link between environmental sustainability, animal
cruelty and diet. Vegetarianism and veganism have become more common
trends, as people shift towards a ‘greener’ lifestyle and diet based on
vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains. Many testify to the benefits of these diets
and their own renewed health and vigour, as well as the fact that they are
contributing to a greener way of life. ‘Organic’, which will be explored later in
this chapter, is now the buzzword in South Africa as people search for cleaner
ways of eating and living in general.

On the other side of the fence, however, are those that argue that red meat
is still a valuable source of protein for the human body. Nicolette Hall, an
associate of the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Well-being at the University
of Pretoria and a research consultant at Lamb and Mutton South Africa, as
well as co-author of the book Red Meat in Nutrition and Health,47 says: ‘A
critical review of thousands of epidemiologic studies found the totality of the
available scientific evidence not supportive of an independent association
between red meat or processed meat and cancer. The link between cancer and
red meat consumption is likely to be in relation with other westernised
lifestyle factors, including obesity and lower physical activity, increased
consumption of refined foods, alcohol and smoking and a decreased
consumption of vegetables and fruits.’

Even the South African Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs)
recommends up to 560 g of cooked red and white meat per week (80 g a day).
With other sources arguing that red meat consumption is a huge risk factor
when it comes to disease and illness, it can be a confusing and daunting topic.

The ACS sums it up thus: ‘The scientific study of nutrition and cancer is
highly complex, and many important questions remain unanswered. It is not
presently clear how single nutrients, combinations of nutrients, overnutrition,
and energy imbalance, or the amount and distribution of body fat
at particular stages of life affect a person’s risk of specific cancers. Until more
is known about the specific components of diet that influence cancer risk, the
best advice is to consume a mostly plant-based diet that limits red and
processed meats and emphasizes a variety of vegetables, fruits, and whole
grains. A special emphasis should be placed on controlling total caloric intake
to help achieve and maintain a healthy weight.’48

It is up to each and every one of us to look at the different arguments and
decide what feels right for us. While the information overload can be
overwhelming, it is important to educate ourselves so that we can adjust our
diet according to our own needs and preferences, using the knowledge at hand
to assist and guide us.