Carnivores recently got some bad news. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, or IARC, the part of the World Health Organization focused on cancer, updated its list of things that cause cancer. Processed meat was added to the list of human carcinogens, which means that enough evidence has surfaced to say that processed meat causes cancer in humans.
And red meat — or any meat that when raw is red — was listed as being probably carcinogenic to humans. This means that the evidence in humans is not as strong as for processed meat to say that it causes cancer. However, the evidence available from both human and lab studies strongly suggests that eating red meat the way we do increases the risk of cancer.
But what does that mean for my beloved bacon cheeseburger, you ask?
Well, the more processed meat you eat, and the more often you eat it, the higher your risk of cancer. The development of cancer is complex and affected by many factors, including diet. One serving of processed meat or red meat eaten very rarely will not be as bad for you as eating multiple servings every day. Furthermore, the risk of developing cancer from eating processed meat alone is definitely not as big a threat as smoking cigarettes, for example. The fact that cigarettes and processed meat are now both classified as carcinogens does not mean that one serving of processed meat is as bad for you as one cigarette. Cigarette smoking is definitely worse for you and kills more people annually than processed meats do. Nevertheless, there is now enough information to say that eating processed meats can also contribute to your risk of developing cancer.
Processed and red meats are not the only foods on the list of carcinogens. Another commonly consumed beverage, alcohol, also makes the list. Whether there is an amount of alcohol that’s “good for you” is still a point of debate. Some studies suggest that small amounts of alcohol reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. However, the American Heart Association currently does not recommend you start drinking any amount of alcohol to improve your health.
Another often-asked question is whether there are foods that decrease your risk of cancer. There is some evidence that in addition to being heart healthy, a Mediterranean diet, or a diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, also decreases the risk of cancer. Lower-calorie diets are also likely beneficial, as obesity is a risk factor for cancer.
Overall, the cause of cancer is complex and multifactorial. Diet plays an important role in one’s overall health and has been shown to be important for many diseases, including cancer. As we continue the season of eating, remember that minimizing your intake of foods linked with cancer, including processed meat and red meat, is one step toward keeping you healthy and living well.
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A Meaty Villain: Carnivores and Cancer Risk originally appeared on usnews.com