Caught red-handed: red meat found to be cause of cancer
KRT FOOD STORY SLUGGED: STEAKS KRT PHOTOGRAPH BY MARY KELLEY/COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE TELEGRAPH (KRT3-September 28) Uptown cuts of steak, like this T-bone, require little preparation for grilling according to William Rice author of the ”Steak Lover’s Cookbook” Rice classifies the most tender cuts of steak, such as T-bone, ribeye and top lion, as uptown cuts. (GT) AP PL KD 1998 (Vert) (Additional photo available on KRT Direct, PressLink or upon request.) NO MAGS, NO SALES
For years, American diets have been criticized due to the consumption of foods high in fat, sodium, and calories. Among these foods, red meat has been the subject of much speculation.
Americans have known for years that red meat has many detrimental effects on the body, such as increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and even premature death.
Nonetheless, according to the “Wall Street Journal,” the average American was said to eat about 75 pounds of red meat annually.
On Oct. 26, to the horror of meat-eaters throughout the nation, the World Health Association deemed beloved foods such as burgers, hot dogs, and bacon carcinogenic to humans.
Kurt Straif, an official with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer, 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.”
The WHO’s research shows that eating an additional 1.8 ounces of processed meat daily raises the risk of developing cancer by 18 percent.
Dean of the School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University Dariush Mozzafarian said that he recommends eating “no more than one to two servings per month of processed meats, and no more than one to two servings per week of unprocessed meat.”
Sophomore Yvanna Reyes said, “Too many corporations rely on the meat processing industry and Americans don’t like change, especially when it comes to our diets. People just have to understand that it’s more about portion control.”
Researchers are not yet sure of the amount of risk involved in consuming the chemicals produced in processing meat, but the WHO has claimed that red meat could be cancerous.
Reyes said, “Despite all the medical propaganda surrounding the consumption of red meat concerning things like cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure, and now carcinogens, the demand for meat won’t go down.”
Overall, eating a hot dog at a grill out or grabbing a burger for lunch will not kill you, but it is important to be conscious of the amount of processed meat one is consuming.
