Red Meat, Processed Meats Raise Cancer Risks

People who eat a lot of red meat and processed meats have a higher risk of several types of cancer, including lung cancer and colorectal cancer, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

"A decrease in the consumption of red and processed meat could reduce the incidence of cancer at multiple sites," Dr. Amanda Cross and colleagues at the U.S. National Cancer Institute wrote in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine.

The work is the first big study to show a link between meat and lung cancer. The Institute looked at the records of 494,000 people aged 50 to 71 taking part in an extensive diet and health study. After eight years, 53,396 cases of cancer were diagnosed.

Red meat was defined as all types of beef, pork and lamb. Processed meats included bacon, red meat sausage, poultry sausage, luncheon meats, cold cuts, ham and most types of hot dogs including turkey dogs.

One in ten cases of both lung and bowel cancer could be prevented if people cut down on beef, lamb, pork, sausages, ham and bacon, the scientists said.

Last month, a report from the World Cancer Research Fund warned that red meat was a major contributor to diseases and scientists urged people to stop eating processed bacon, ham and sausages and consume no more than the equivalent of three 6-oz steaks a week. (Xinhua)
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