In a week when we’ve been told that something in Coke and Pepsi causes cancer ( not true for humans, the only possible link being indirect, through obesity ) I can imagine the reaction of members, the general public, hard working butchers and others in the meat trade, to scaremongering in the media about the perils of red meat.
Since the topic has been raised, I will put it into perspective, having read the original article
( http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/con...nmed.2011.2287 ).
In the UK, 2/5 of us can expect to get cancer ( over 200 different types ) at some stage, but treatment ensures that only half of these will cause death. 2/5 of the total are due to lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, obesity, alcohol and occupation. Screening ( to diagnose early ), and vaccination ( to prevent ) help. However, at least half can’t realistically be avoided – age, hormones, geographical / environmental factors, and an element of luck ( where the cause is unknown ). Around 1/10 cancers may be linked to diet. What this American study of health professionals tells us is that too much red meat and processed meat could increase the risk of dying from cancer – they don’t say which, but other studies point to large bowel especially – by up to 16%.
As for cardiovascular disease, fewer of us are getting heart attacks, and more of those that do survive because of improving treatment. In the next few years, deaths from cancers will exceed those from cardiovascular disease. As with cancers, there are several main risk factors for cardiovascular disease apart from diet ( age, sex, high blood pressure, alcohol, exercise, and stress ). This study claims an increased risk of dying from heart disease due to too much red or processed meat of around 1/5.
This news is either going to annoy the general public and / or they will choose to ignore it, on the basis that “ You’ve got to die of something, I like red meat, bacon sandwiches, and sausages and I’ll decide what I want to eat “. Those who delve a little deeper and bother to read the evidence may well reach the same conclusion. Some might improve their diet, which is only one factor in life expectancy. Of course eating less red meat would be good for our planet. Livestock uses a third of the world’s land surface ( mostly for permanent pasture ), and half of the population is malnourished.
