Eating Red Meat May Increase The Risk of Prostate Cancer
admin on 11 13, 2009
Yes it is true, a diet rich in red and processed meats appears to put men at a higher risk of developing prostrate cancer, a United States study said. Those who ate the most red and processed meats had heightened risks of developing any stage of prostate cancer – and advanced cancer in particular.The findings, reported in the American Journal Of Epidemiology, add to a conflicting body of research on meat intake and prostate cancer risk. Because studies over the years have come to different conclusions, experts generally consider the evidence linking red and processed meats to the disease to be limited and inconclusive.
Dr Rashmi Sinha and her colleagues at the NCI followed 175,343 American men between the ages of 50 and 71 who were surveyed about their diets – including how much and what type of meat they typically ate, as well as the cooking methods they used. Overall, the researchers found that 20 per cent of men with the highest intake of red meats – which in this study included beef and pork – were 12 per cent more likely to develop prostate cancer than those who consumed the least red meats.The researchers used that information to estimate the levels of certain potentially cancer-promoting chemicals in the men’s diets.Over the next nine years, 10,313 study participants developed prostate cancer and 419 died from the disease.
There was a stronger connection to advanced prostate cancer – with that risk being almost one-third higher among those who ate the most red meat versus those who ate the least.When it came to cooking methods, the only one that was linked to prostate cancer was grilling and barbecuing, Dr Sinha’s team found.The finding is in line with the theory that meats cooked at high temperatures may be particularly linked to cancer because the cooking process produces certain chemicals – including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines – that are known to cause cancer in animals.In the body, nitrites and nitrates can promote the production of potentially cancer-promoting chemicals called nitrosamines.
A similar pattern emerged when the investigators looked at men’s intake of nitrites and nitrates – chemicals used to preserve and flavour processed and cured meats like ham, bacon and sausage.Taken together, Dr Sinha’s team said the findings point to potential mechanisms by which certain meats could promote prostate cancer. They also said it would be important to study the relationship between specific types of meat and prostate cancer risk.
