Red meat (mainly pork, beef, and mutton) is the main food that humans have used for calories and nutrition for thousands of years. However, with the development of science and technology, scientists have frequently challenged it in recent years. Some time ago, researchers at Harvard Medical School pointed out that red meat can cause diabetes; today, experts from the American Cancer Society have confirmed through long-term research that eating too much red meat can cause cancer. They urgently called on people to eat less red meat and eat more poultry, fish, and legumes to get enough protein.
The study was done by Michael Thorn and colleagues at the American Cancer Society. In the 10 years between 1982 and 1992, they investigated the eating habits of 150,000 Americans. According to how much red meat is eaten, 150,000 people are divided into 3 groups to see which people have straight and colon cancer. The results showed that the group with the most red meat had twice the risk of rectal cancer than the group with the least red meat, and the risk of having colon cancer was 40% higher; while the odds of eating poultry and fish were the least likely to cause disease. . According to them, long-term consumption of red meat and red meat products such as hamburgers, sausages and beef has greatly increased the risk of people suffering from colorectal cancer and colon cancer.
However, the researchers said that it is not yet clear what components of meat foods cause cancer.
They speculated that it may be iron in red meat and toxins produced during cooking, as well as nitrates and nitrites produced during salting. Previously, scientists at the University of California, San Diego, discovered that red meat contains a harmful sugar molecule, Neu5Gc, which is not found in the human body. After eating these meats, Neu5Gc enters the body and is recognized by the immune system as a foreign substance, causing a harmful immune response that eventually leads to heart disease and cancer.
Although the cause of carcinogenicity of red meat is still not clear, experts advise people to eat less fresh red meat and red meat products, such as reducing the number of red meat eaten per week and the amount of meat eaten each time. In the study, the group that ate more meat consumed an average of 55 grams of meat per person per day, which was roughly equivalent to the amount of meat in a hamburger.
Red meat includes pork, beef, lamb, and liver; red meat products include bacon, sausage, ham, salami, and luncheon meat. “It is a healthy choice to replace red meat with poultry, fish, nuts and legume proteins,†said Walter Villette, a nutrition expert at Harvard University. “Reducing rectal cancer can also reduce the risk of heart disease.†Experts It is believed that the source of the protein should be extensive. Apart from meat, it should include dairy products, vegetables, fish, poultry and eggs.
In the United States, cancers of the colon and colon are the third most common cause of cancer. In the past, studies have shown that red meat can cause these two types of cancer. However, due to the lack of consistent research data and lack of long-term observation of dietary habits, So it has not been recognized. The American Cancer Society’s research is by far the most comprehensive and has gained widespread recognition. (Yang Jian)