Red Meat a No-No?

Eating pork, processed, and red meat has been found to be associated with an increased risk of cancer of the pancreas – a rare but one of the most lethal cancers. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute followed almost 200,000 people for 7 years to see if they developed pancreatic cancer. They all completed food frequency questionnaires. There were 482 cancer cases during the 7 years. Processed meat was the worst offender – high intake was linked with a 68% increased risk of the cancer. Pork and total red meat had a 50% increased risk. The intake of poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, fat, and cholesterol had no influence on the occurrence of pancreatic cancer. The study was done in Hawaii and California – are these the home of frequent barbeques? Whatever the reason for the association, we shouldn’t forget that smoking is by far the greatest risk factor for cancer of the pancreas. Stop smoking, and you can probably eat a steak or two, once a month, without producing a relevant increase in your risk of pancreas cancer. (Of course, red meat and cooked meat have other risks – arthritis, colorectal cancer, and endometriosis, not to mention Mad Cow Disease.)