The World Health Organization has confirmed that high-meat diets can cause cancer.
According to the WHO report, processed meats like sausage and bacon as well as red meats, are all carcinogenic when eaten in high rates. The report was published last month, after 22 scientists from 10 countries brainstormed at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France, on the association between cancer and meat consumption in order to evaluate the carcinogenicity of highmeat diets.
The team looked specifically at the health effects of eating processed meat (meat that has been transformed from its original state, such as bacon and sausage), and the effects of eating red meat (unprocessed animal muscle, such as beef, pork, and lamb). In order to evaluate these risks, the researchers investigated the association of cancer and meat consumption in several countries and also looked into how rat populations are affected by these diets. Based on their research, a majority of the group concluded that there is sufficient evidence in human beings for the carcinogenicity of the consumption of processed meat with the report specifically naming ham, hot dogs, sausages, and jerky in this category.
In addition, the team classified the consumption of red meat as probably carcinogenic to humans, but cited that there was inadequate evidence in experimental animals to definitively prove this link. According to them, this correlation between cancer and eating processed meats was strongest seen in the case of colon and stomach cancer, although eating red meat was also linked to pancreatic and prostate cancer.
According to the WHO report, one of the major culprits for meat’s carcinogenic properties is its preparation. “Common meat processing techniques, such as curing and smoking, can often result in the formation of carcinogenic chemicals. For red meat, although cooking makes meat both taste better and easier to digest, it can also produce known or suspected carcinogens”, it said.
Source:NationalMirrow
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