The average person normally consumes at least one kind of meat substance a day. Whether it be the salami on their sandwich, bacon with their eggs, or a hot dog, some kind of processed meat has made its way into the stomachs of a majority of individuals. However, while there can be health benefits in eating meat, there have also been proven some health risks to eating processed meat. One particular and major issue that has gotten the attention of the World Health Organization (WHO), is processed meats’ risk of bowel cancer.
After years of seeing evidence and almost 800 reviewed epidemiological studies done on the subject, WHO says that processed meat is definitely linked to the cause of bowel cancer. In fact, WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), has announced processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen. This same group of cancer causing agents includes tobacco smoking, arsenic, and asbestos. With as much evidence as the organization has to these modified meats, the link between meat and bowel cancer is as strong as the link between smoking and cancer.
However, this doesn’t mean that eating this kind of meat can be as risky of obtaining cancer as smoking a cigarette. Research analyzed by Cancer Research UK have found that around 61 people per 1,000 individuals are most likely to obtain bowel cancer in their lives.
The IARC has also titled red meat such as, beef, pork, and mutton, as “probably carcinogenic.” With this kind of meat, the IARC has seen a correlation with it having an increased risk for more than just bowel cancer, including pancreatic and prostate cancers.
The IARC conducted studies that followed large groups of healthy individuals during their exposure to both red and processed meat throughout their lives. After looking at the individuals’ food habits before and after they got cancer, most processed meat linked to bowel cancer and stomach cancer, whereas red meat linked to pancreatic and prostate cancers.
While the IARC hasn’t made any dietary recommendations to avoid this exposure other organizations such as the London-based World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) have. For the WCRF in London, they have recommended not to consume over 500 grams of red meat per week, and eating barely any if none at all of processed meat. It can be difficult to stay within the 500 gram boundary because red and processed meats have larger gram sizes despite being labeled as “smaller portions.
The grams of meat isn’t the only thing that can cause the risk; the way the meat is prepared can also increase cancer risks. The high temperatures from frying, boiling, and grilling meat produce aromatic amines, which can also be found in tobacco smoke and can cause cellular damage to an individual.
While this may make meat look dangerous, it is still one of the most important providers of protein and other micronutrients. It may be time for people to watch how much meat they consume and instead add more greens and grains to their diet.
