Cancer RISK & RED Meat Eaters

Increased consumption of red, processed meat may be linked to higher risk of cancer, study suggests.

"U.S. adults who eat a lot of red meat have an increased risk of developing colorectal, liver, lung, and esophageal cancer, compared to those who eat less," according to a study published in the December issue of the journal PLoS Medicine.

In the study, a research team "from the National Institutes of Health and the AARP analyzed health data from 500,000 people aged 50 to 71 who participated in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study beginning in 1995-1996,"

During the eight-year study, the researchers "recorded 53,396 cases of cancer." After grouping participants "into five categories according to their level of meat consumption," the researchers found that participants who consumed high levels of red meat and processed meat had "elevated risks for colorectal and lung cancer." In addition, high consumption of meat was "associated with [an] increased risk of esophageal and liver" cancer.

Furthermore, "both red meat and processed meat consumption were associated with increased pancreatic cancer risk in men, but not women." Meats contain "several compounds that are known to affect cell development," and they "are a source of saturated fat and iron, both of which have been linked to cancer," the researchers said.