Recently, the World Health Organization released a scientific study on their finding of cancer-causing carcinogens in both red meats and processed meats. This includes beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, horse, goat, ham, hot dogs, sausages, corned beef, jerky, canned meat, and any processed meat that has gone through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes. These types of meat are classified in Group 1 as being carcinogenic to humans- the same classification as tobacco smoking and asbestos. Are you feeling shocked yet? Many people were very taken aback by the release of this information as people worldwide eat meat on a regular basis. The forms of cancer associated with eating red meat are colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, and pancreatic cancer.
There are many reasons to lower your meat intake, but many statistics released in the study brought to light new issues that the general public may not be aware about. Did you know that it’s estimated that for every 50-gram portion of processed meat consumed daily, the risk of colorectal cancer increases by 18%? The wild part is that cancer is one of the smaller risks and worries about consuming red meat, whereas diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are very prevalent and worrying as well.
Ultimately, there are many health concerns that go along with consuming red or processed meats, and many benefits from reducing or eliminating them while upping your intake of plant based foods. For more information, check out the full report at http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2015/pdfs/pr240_E.pdf . Staying educated and doing as much research as possible is always the best way to be aware and take control of your own health!
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