Nitrates, saturated fat, salt – red meat seems to be full of everything that doctors advise us to avoid in our diet. But if we eat it anyway, what is the real risk and what exactly are we risking?
One of the latest news stories has whetted the appetite of meat lovers around the world. It turns out that red meat is not as harmful as they try to prove to us. The controversial report, which reanalyzes data from previous studies, suggests that caution should be exercised in blindly following accepted international health recommendations to reduce red meat consumption. The authors conclude that there is no reliable evidence that reducing red meat consumption in any way affects the likelihood of developing cancer over a lifetime. And the evidence that does exist is very weak. The analysis included data from 70 studies based on the medical histories of six million people. It is worth noting that this is entirely consistent with the BBC Future website’s coverage of healthy eating and the risks associated with consuming certain products. In recent years, several scientific reports have questioned the harm caused by meat and processed foods. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what happens next.
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In 2018, scientists and politicians campaigned against the use of nitrates and nitrites as preservatives in processed meats because of evidence linking the chemicals to cancer. But when Angela Doudin investigated the issue for BBC Future, she discovered that nitrates and nitrites are found in much higher levels in other products. In fact, about 80% of the nitrates and nitrites in most European diets come from vegetables. Moreover, in some cases, nitrates actually have a positive effect on health – for example, they lower blood pressure. But this is not the whole story. Nitrites can be converted into carcinogenic nitrosamines (often linked to colon cancer) when nitrites react with amines – organic compounds found in protein-rich foods. For example, nitrates and nitrites may be more dangerous in meat than in vegetables. Nitrosamines are also formed in chemical reactions that occur during high-temperature cooking – and again, this is much more likely to occur with sausage or roast beef than with celery. As a result, the risk of cancer is more related to how we cook our food than to its composition. This is where red meat loses out. Meat dishes, especially those that are grilled or pan-fried, carry a particularly high risk. The good news is that we can choose a cooking method that will reduce our risk of cancer – for example, cooking food on a low heat. And it’s in our hands.
Grilled or pan-fried meat is particularly dangerous. Replacing harmful components in our diet is equally important. Saturated fats are considered to be the cause of many diseases, including heart disease. It is possible to switch from animal fats to vegetable oils. Replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats reduces the risk of death from any cause by 19%, according to research studies. It is clear that the foods we eat contribute to the risks to our health. But the way we talk about these risks can be misleading. For example, the aforementioned “19% reduction in the risk of death from any cause” sounds attractive, but it is essentially a reduction from five to four people per hundred. That doesn’t sound very optimistic, does it? What happens when we rethink these risks? As regular BBC Future contributor David Robson writes, eating bacon has been linked to the risk of developing colorectal cancer – although cases of the disease are extremely rare. Approximately 56 out of every thousand people are at risk of developing this type of cancer during their lifetime. If a thousand people ate bacon every day, the number at risk would only increase to 66. Do you eat bacon? You are not at very high risk. Compare this at least to the cancer risk of smoking: for every 100 people who quit smoking, 10-15 will avoid the lung cancer that would otherwise threaten them. However, if you’re thinking about eating another serving of red meat after reading this article, don’t rush. Think about it. We consume far more protein than we need. Adding extra protein to our diet is pointless. Most of us already get more protein from food than the recommended daily allowance. And even those who are serious about fitness should not spend money on protein supplements – unnecessary protein is still excreted from the body. Buying such supplements is a waste of money.
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— Legal Information. This article contains general information only and should not be considered a substitute for the advice of a physician or other health care professional. The BBC is not responsible for any diagnosis made by the reader based on the material on this site. The BBC is not responsible for the content of other websites linked to this site and does not endorse any commercial products or services mentioned on these websites. If you are concerned about your health, please consult a physician.
Благодарим за ваш запрос. Мы рады предложить вам наши услуги. To read the original article in English, visit the BBC Future website.