MEAT MATTERS and THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT

MEAT MATTERS and THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT

While Campbell’s views might be considered quite extreme, South Africa’s
experts paint a more moderate picture. Nicolette Hall explains that South
African consumers are becoming increasingly focused on the quality and
nutritional characteristics of meat and meat products. For this reason, an
ongoing campaign to promote the consumption of South African lamb and
mutton among South African consumers, called Healthy Meat, was launched
in 2008 by Lamb and Mutton South Africa.

Their research shows that modern-day lean red meat contains less than 10
per cent fat per edible portion; can be included as part of a healthy, wellbalanced
diet; and is a significant source of many nutrients essential for health
and well-being, contributing significantly to an individual’s daily nutrient
requirements.

Hall asserts that the link between cancer and red meat is likely to be in
relation to obesity and low physical activity, increased consumption of
refined foods, alcohol and smoking, and a decreased consumption of
vegetables and fruits – in other words, the ‘westernised’ diet. She draws
attention to the fact that a moderate amount of red meat per week (up to 500
g cooked) is recommended by the WCRF, while, as we have already seen, the
South African Food-Based Dietary Guidelines recommends up to 560 g red
and white meat per week.

Johannesburg dietitian Tammy Wolhuter agrees that a westernised diet
can be problematic, explaining that over the past fifty years diet trends have
changed considerably. She says that a western diet is typically high in protein,
containing significant amounts of meat, particularly processed meat and fat,
and is generally low in fibre. ‘Together with other risk factors, this contributes
towards increased risk for cancer.’

She also points out that processed meats (smoked, salted or pickled)
provide carcinogenic nitrosamines and nitrosamides. ‘Cooking meat at high
temperatures, charring meat or smoking meat can cause the formation of
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines, which are
carcinogenic. For this reason, it is now advised that people should be aware
of unhealthy cooking methods, avoid processed meats and consume meat in
moderation.’ According to Wolhuter, evidence reveals that one can eat a
maximum of 80 g of red meat daily, which translates to no more than 560 g
per week, without increasing the risk for cancer while still gaining the
nutritional benefits of red meat. She adds that it is also important to eliminate
the fat on meat in order to reduce one’s intake of saturated fat, further
reducing the risk of cancer.

In Red Meat in Nutrition and Health, Hall and co-author Hettie C.
Schönfeldt analyse the role of meat in South African society and look at how
possible health benefits of foods have introduced modern consumers to the
concept of food as medicine. They explain that a ‘double burden of nutritionrelated
diseases is prevalent in many households and communities in South
Africa, as both over- and under-nutrition occur due to rapid urbanisation and
acculturation. Numerous South Africans suffer from the health implications
of inappropriate diets.’56

With 24 per cent of deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa attributed to
noncommunicable diseases, and with obesity considered the most important
nutritional cause of many major non-communicable diseases, the authors
point out that data and recommendations from developed countries on
nutritional guidelines can overshadow what less-adequately fed populations
might need. ‘Red meat, including South African lamb and mutton, is a
valuable source of essential nutrients in the human diet required for optimal
nutrition and health. When trimmed, lean red meat contains less than 10 g fat
per 100 g product and can be included as part of a healthy and balanced
diet.’57

When talking about red meat and cancer specifically, Hall and Schönfeldt
point out that genes, hormones, immune conditions, metabolism mutations
and external factors like tobacco, chemicals, radiation and infectious
organisms all play a role in cancer. ‘Normally various factors act together or
in sequence to initiate or promote carcinogenesis and it should be
remembered that no single study can prove that any single factor is a cause of,
or is protective against, any specific type of cancer.’58

Another point they make is that while the ‘Colorectal Cancer Report
Summary concluded convincing evidence that red meat, processed meat and
ethanol from alcoholic drinks, body fatness and abdominal fatness, are causes
of colorectal cancer,’ the report also ‘recommends that people should
consume less than 500 g cooked meat per week to reduce risk of cancer from
red meat. This amount is in line with the South African Food-Based Dietary
Guidelines and all limited data available indicate that on average the South
African population consumes values well below this amount of red meat.’59
The point is that we should limit our red meat intake rather than eradicating it
completely. Moderation is key.

In a South African context, what Wolhuter and Hall both point to as
crucial is a balanced diet. Hall says that a balanced diet builds on a foundation
of healthy foods from a variety of food groups, including whole grains, fruit,
vegetables, dairy products and lean meats. ‘In order to promote a healthy
cancer-fighting diet, emphasis should be placed on a varied diet rich in
vegetables, fruit and other fibre-rich foods in combination with a moderate
intake of lean red meat. Caution should be placed on other westernised
lifestyle habits such as the consumption of refined sugars, processed foods,
alcohol and smoking.’

Wolhuter says that red meat does provide beneficial micronutrients and is
a good source of protein, which, if eaten in moderation, can contribute to an
improved nutritional status. However, ‘It is important to include a variety of
whole grains, fruits and vegetables in the diet to reap the benefits of the shortchain
fatty acids that these foods provide, which reduce the amount of fat
absorbed in the gut, together with the added benefit of antioxidant intake.’

Antioxidants are also very important when it comes to diet and nutrition.

Wolhuter explains that managing free-radical production that causes
oxidative stress in the body can prevent cancer. Oxidative stress is caused by
an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body’s ability to
detoxify the damage. Factors that cause oxidative stress include eating large
quantities of food at once, abstaining from exercise, eating trans-fatty acids,
sugar and refined carbohydrates, smoking, drinking more than one alcoholic
drink a day for woman and two alcoholic drinks a day for men, and baking in
the sun. There are several ways to manage oxidative stress, including:

• taking part in regular physical activity (at least thirty to sixty minutes of cardiovascular activity on most days of the week);

• maintaining a healthy body weight; and

• following a diet low in inflammation-inducing molecules (a diet providing plenty of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables).

Sources of anti-inflammatory molecules include five to nine servings of fruit
and vegetables each day, omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish, and plant fibres
found in oats, legumes, fruit and vegetables.

In conclusion, Wolhuter says that nutrition contributes to approximately
35 per cent of causal factors for cancer, meaning that diet can most certainly
make a difference in preventing cancer, as can other lifestyle factors.
‘Nutrition can also improve immunity and thus assist the patient during
cancer treatment. During cancer treatment, diet can assist in preventing
excessive weight loss, help treat diarrhoea and constipation, and assist in
compromised energy levels. Nutrition forms a very important component in
the long-term survival plan for cancer survivors.’