Red for Danger, Red Meat for Cancer

A study by the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer and Nutrition reveals that eating high quantities of red meat may lead to production of a cancer causing chemical called N-Nitroso.

Researchers looked at 400,000 people from 9 European countries. Patients were fed a daily diet of 420mg of red meat. When the this was replaced with chicken or fish, levels of N-Nitroso were seen to fall dramatically.

The study also supported evidence that high fibre diets may help prevent colon cancer. 300 cases of colon cancer were diagnosed over the course of the study. 176 of these patients were deemed to have low fibre diets and only 124 had high levels of fibre intake - a statistical difference of 40%.

It was also suggested that preserved meats such as ham, salami and bacon are particularly harmful, while fish consumption may help reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Saturday, 30 June 2001