Meat and Colon Cancer Link

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Meat and Colon Cancer Link JoAnn Guest

Mar 27, 2007 08:53 PST

 

Meat and Colon Cancer Link

by Heather Moore

http://www.healingcancernaturally.com/meat-and-colon-cancer-link.html

 

Colon cancer is one of the world's top killers, but if you're a

vegetarian, you have reason to breathe a sigh of relief. Meat-

eaters,

take note. The recent study by the European Prospective

Investigation of

Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study chillingly confirms what previous

smaller studies have shown for years: Consumption of animal products

are

likely to cause colorectal (colon and rectal) cancer.

 

The massive EPIC study is the biggest ever into diet and cancer. It

involved 406,323 people from nine countries over a period of 15

years.

The results of the study were presented recently in Lyon, France, at

the

European Conference on Nutrition and Cancer.

 

The study cited preserved meats, such as cured ham, hot dogs, bacon

and

salami, as major culprits for colorectal cancer, and indicated that

red

meat was also a high risk factor. People who consumed preserved

meats

were found to have a 50 percent greater chance of developing

colorectal

cancer than those who ate no preserved meats.

 

Red meat produced the same harmful bacteria in the colon as is found

in

tobacco.

 

But don't head out for chicken wings yet. Previous studies have also

linked consumption of chicken, dairy and eggs to the development of

colorectal cancer.

 

A 1990 survey and 1991 follow-up study in the Spanish Island of

Majorca

found that consumption of chicken, red meat, dairy and eggs

increased

the risk of developing colorectal cancer.

 

Another 1991 Swedish study indicated an association between meat

consumption and colorectal cancer, and a 1992 study in northeast

Italy

found that " frequent consumption of refined starchy foods, eggs and

fat-rich foods such as cheese and red meat is a risk factor for

colorectal cancer. " All studies were published in the International

Journal of Cancer.

 

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and at the Harvard School of

Public Health in 1990 found a clear association between animal fat

intake and colon cancer rates. The authors of the study also

reported

that in the Nurse's Health Study of 121,700 female registered nurses

30

to 55 years of age found that, women who consumed beef, lamb, or

pork as

a main dish at least once a day were 2.5 times more likely to be

diagnosed with colon cancer than women who consumed meat as a main

dish

less than once a month.

 

The American Cancer Society (ACS) states that " a diet mostly from

animal

sources " is a risk factor for colorectal cancer. The ACS recommends

that

people choose foods from plant sources and limit their intake of

high-fat foods, particularly from animal sources.

 

The National Cancer Institute in the United States also says that

" colorectal cancer seems to be associated with diets that are high

in

fat and calories and low in fiber " and that " eating vegetables and

fruits is associated with a decreased risk of cancers of the ...

colon

[and] rectum... "

 

In fact, the participants in the EPIC study who ate the most fiber

reduced their risk of colorectal cancer by as much as 40 percent.

Meat

and dairy products have absolutely no fiber at all, and even lean

meats

and " low fat " dairy products are packed with fat and cholesterol,

relative to fruits, vegetables, and grains.

 

Based on these studies, and on the terrible suffering of animals

raised

and slaughtered [in conventional animal husbandry] for consumption,

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has launched a

campaign that pulls no punches: " Beef. It's what's rotting in your

colon. "

 

An unpleasant thought, yes, but it could save your life-and the

lives of

animals who are imprisoned for their flesh.

 

Heather Moore writes for PETA.

 

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/