Another piece of bad news has been linked to red meat. When this happens, it reinforces the idea that for your best health, steak, hamburgers, veal, and ribs shouldn’t be viewed as a daily dinner idea, but instead a treat — something special. Yet the truth is that adults in Western countries eat vast amounts of red meat, and in so doing could be putting themselves at greater risk of disease.
The latest is a new study that found older women are at a much greater risk of breast cancer if they eat even a small amount of red meat each day. Postmenopausal women who ate two ounces of lamb, pork, or beef each day were at 56% increased risk for a tumor, compared to women who ate no red meat. That risk rose to 64% if women ate 3.6 ounces of processed meat each day — items such as bologna, salami, sausages, and bacon.
As a matter of fact, age didn’t matter: women between 35 and 70 were at the highest risk for breast cancer if they ate the most meat. The link is crystal clear. In a huge sample of 35,000 women, eating red meat daily equaled a much greater risk of breast cancer. For the biggest risk, eat both red and processed meat daily.
In the study, women were divided into “low”, “medium”, or “high” red meat-eating groups. They were compared to vegetarians. Everyone completed a survey of more than 200 questions about their diet. The study considered other factors that could influence cancer, such as fruit and vegetable consumption, smoking, alcohol use, age, weight, and use of hormone replacement therapy.
Some experts are surprised at how strong the link between red meat and breast cancer has turned out to be. It’s still a matter of debate, but since other cancers have been associated with red and processed meats as well, it’s becoming clear that there is something in meat that makes us more susceptible to tumors.
The best advice is to maintain a healthy diet, get regular exercise, and keep a good bodyweight. Nobody who enjoys red meat needs to cut it out, but cutting down on the fatty meats would be wise. Aim for at least two (and hopefully more) days per week when you do not eat red meat.
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