The World Health Organization (WHO), has issued
a health alert stating that the consumption of all forms of red meat
and processed meat such as pork, beef, hot dog, ham, sausages, corned
beef, canned meat and meat-based preparations and sauces among others,
carries a high risk of cancer.
The warning which came following an evaluation report by the
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), on the
carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat,
revealed that each 50g portion of processed meat eaten daily increases
the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent.
A group of 22 scientists from WHO’s International Agency for Research
on Cancer in Lyon, France, evaluated more than 800 studies from several
continents about meat and cancer. The studies looked at more than a
dozen types of cancer in populations with diverse diets over the past 20
years.
Based on that evaluation, the IARC classified processed meat as
“carcinogenic to humans,” noting links in particular to colon cancer. It
said red meat contains some important nutrients, but still labeled it
“probably carcinogenic,” with links to colon, prostate and pancreatic
cancers.
The agency said it did not have enough data to define how much
processed meat is too dangerous, but said the risk grows with the amount
consumed. Analysis of 10 of the studies suggested that a 50-gram
portion of processed meat daily — or about 1.75 ounces — increases the
risk of colorectal cancer over a lifetime by about 18 percent.
According to the Director of IARC, Dr. Christopher Wild, these
findings support current public health recommendations to limit intake
of meat.
“Red meat has nutritional values. It is a major source of iron, zinc
and vitamin B12. Therefore, these results are important in enabling
governments and international regulatory agencies to conduct risk
assessments, in order to balance the risks and benefits of eating red
meat and processed meat and to provide the best possible dietary
recommendations” Wild said
In a statement, the Head of the IARC Monographs Programme, Dr. Kurt
Straif said “for an individual, the risk of developing colorectal cancer
because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this
risk increases with the amount of meat consumed.
“In view of the large number of people who consume processed meat,
the global impact on cancer incidence is of public health importance.”
he said
The cancer agency said a research by the Global Burden of Disease
Project suggested that 34,000 cancer deaths per year worldwide are
linked to diets heavy in processed meat – compared with 1 million deaths
a year linked to smoking, 600,000 a year to alcohol consumption and
200,000 a year to air pollution.
According to WHO an estimated 8.2 million people die each year from
cancer, which is 13 percent of all deaths worldwide. There are more than
100 types of cancer, each requiring unique diagnosis and treatment and a
70 percent increase in new cases of cancer is expected over the next
two decades.
In reaction to the above, a number of scientists expressed their concerns about the new classification.
One of them is Emeritus Fellow of the Institute of Food Research, Dr
Ian Johnson, who said “Although there is epidemiological evidence for a
statistically significant association between processed meat consumption
and bowel cancer, it is important to emphasize that the size of the
effect is relatively small, and the mechanism is poorly defined.”
Also reacting, Emeritus Professor of Neurobiology at Cardiff
University, Professor Robert Prickard, stated: “Avoiding red meat in the
diet is not a protective strategy against cancer.
“Choosing a meat-free diet is a lifestyle choice – it is not vital
for health. For the majority of people who currently eat the recommended
dietary levels of red meat, which is 70g per day and wish to continue
doing so, moderate amounts of red meat can be enjoyed within a healthy
balanced diet.”
In Nigeria, controversy surrounding the link between consumption of
red meat and risk of development of cancer is well documented.
A Professor of nutrition, Prof. Ignatius Onimawo, says consumption of
the local skewered beef or chicken popularly called Suya, increases the
risk of cancer.
Onimawo, a researcher and lecturer at the Ambrose Alli University,
Ekpoma, Edo State, said research shows a strong link between consumption
of suya and increased risk of cancer.
Years back, the WHO had warned that except there is deliberate effort
to imbibe healthier dietary and lifestyle habits over the next decade,
cancer and other Non Communicable Diseases, NCDs, would increase by more
than 27 percent in developing countries like Nigeria, compared to 17
percent in the developed world.
Explaining how red meat causes cancer, scientist say the sugar
molecule Neu5Gc found in red meat such as pork, beef and lamb, is not
found naturally in humans, but it is in most other mammals.
When humans eat meat, the molecule enters the tissues. The immune
system attacks it, causing inflammation. Over time inflammation has been
shown to cause tumors to form. Previous studies have linked red-meat
consumption to a number of cancers, especially colorectal, breast,
prostate, ovarian and lung cancers
The WHO said its findings were important for helping countries give balanced dietary advice.
Meanwhile, a professor from the Cancer Research UK and the University
of Oxford, Prof Tim Key, said: “This decision doesn’t mean you need to
stop eating any red and processed meat, but if you eat lots of it you
may want to think about cutting down.
“Eating a bacon bap every once in a while isn’t going to do much harm
– having a healthy diet is all about moderation. So avoiding red meat
in the diet is not a protective strategy against cancer.”
While previous studies have warned that red and processed meats are
high in saturated fat and capable of raising the blood cholesterol in
the long term, this is the first time, the WHO will be making a
pronouncement on the carcinogenicity of processed meat.
Processed meat according to the international body is any meat that
has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or
other processes to enhance flavor or improve preservation.
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