According to doctors at the Hospital, red meat, and processed meat not only increase the risk of colorectal can:cer but also make the body susceptible to other dangerous can:cers such as esophageal, lung, pancreatic, endometrial, and stomach can:cers.
According to the study, consuming a lot of unprocessed red meat and processed meat increases the risk of colorectal can:cer.
Specifically, every 50g increase in daily consumption of processed meat increases the risk of cancer by 18%; every 100g increase in daily consumption of unprocessed red meat increases the risk of cancer by 17%.
High salt content in processed meats is also considered a risk factor for gastric can:cer. High salt intake can damage the gastric mucosa, increase the formation of endogenous N-nitroso compounds, interact synergistically with gastric can:cer-causing substances, and increase the invasion of Helicobacter pylori bacteria.
Haem iron in red meat can lead to oxidative stress, which can increase lipid peroxidation, leading to protein degradation and DNA damage. In addition, haem iron also increases the formation of endogenous N-nitroso compounds because they are easily nitrated and act as nitrosating agents in red meat.
IRAC experts calculated that every 50 grams of processed meat (sausages, beef jerky, canned meat, smoked meat) a person consumes in a day can increase the risk of colon can:cer by up to 18%.
Experts explain that chemicals used in meat processing can increase the risk of can:cer. Cooking meat at high temperatures can also create chemicals that can cause can:cer.
In addition, the WHO says that red meat (including beef, pork, lamb, horse, and goat) also has a “risk of increasing the risk of can:cer” but the evidence to prove this is quite limited.
According to research, two substances present in red meat are heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These two substances are formed when red meat is cooked at high temperatures such as grilling or frying. When heterocyclic amines appear, amino acids, creatine, protein, and sugar will react with each other at high temperatures, activating can:cer cells.
However, WHO emphasizes that processed meats and red meats such as beef also provide health benefits to humans.
With such a wide scope, the WHO announcement not only met with reactions from the meat industry and restaurants but also impacted the culture and habits of many ethnic groups. For example, in Europe, people prefer sausages and smoked ham, while in Asia, people love sausages and beef jerky. In the US, bacon and hot dogs (a type of fast food) are also familiar dishes that have become traditions of this nation.
Accordingly, there are 3 main solutions to solve nutritional problems related to can:cer:
– Maintain ideal weight (gain less than 10% of ideal weight, gain over 20% is a high risk of some can:cers).
– Practice proper nutrition, and encourage the use of a full and balanced diet.
– Choose suitable foods, ensure the quality of food sources, understand the nutritional quality of food ingredients to ensure correct and sufficient quality, and avoid excess harmful fats.
