So what should the average American non-vegetarian – who’s still not ready to nail shut their own coffin – do with the information? Moderation remains the key.
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The report from the IARC also stated that red meat has been classified as probably carcinogenic to humans based on limited evidence that the consumption of red meat causes cancer in humans and strong mechanistic evidence supporting a carcinogenic effect. The decision was made after the worldwide Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a panel of 22 scientists and health experts within WHO, meticulously went over 800 studies on the topic. Their advice: “restrict saturated fats, the fats in beef, pork, lamb, sausages”.
WHO’s findings can influence public health recommendations around the globe. When people stop eating red meat, we often see weight loss and an improvement in their daily digestive health.
The World Health Organization researchers defined processed meat as anything transformed to improve its flavor or preserve it, including sausages, beef jerky and anything smoked. “If you’re consuming things in excess amounts, look at what you’re doing and try to eat healthier”. How much of this – if I’m someone who has a couple of slices of bacon or a turkey sandwich a few times a week, how anxious should I be? That compared with 1 million deaths a year linked to smoking, 600,000 a year to alcohol consumption and 200,000 a year to air pollution.
Overall, the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer in the U.S.is about 1 in 20, or 5 percent, according to the cancer society.
The more processed meat consumed, the greater the risk of cancer.
The same is “probably” true for red meat in general.
So, both bacon and sunlight increase the risk of people getting cancer, but does not mean you will 100 per cent, definitely, get cancer from them.
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It’s recommended that you only about three to four ounces of red meat a week – that’s about the size of a deck of cards. David Canon, of J Brindon Addy in Yorkshire, said no staff member had reported a drop in sales or customer concerns over red meat and carcinogens. But the evidence reviewed by IARC strongly suggests that if you do eat meat, eat less when you do, don’t eat meat every day, save processed meats for rare treats and be sure to eat plenty of vegetables. We know this sometimes happens because people have been eating fast-food burgers or burritos, washing them down with unhealthy beverages and just overconsuming calories.
