Does Meat Cause Cancer?

Red meat and cancer. You’ve seen the headlines! Now it’s time to learn what the studies really say. Spoiler alert: it’s not that simple. We tease apart the link between processed meat & colorectal cancer. We discuss: absolute risk vs relative risk. Observational studies vs interventional. Confounding variables. And we end on an exploration of what’s at stake nutritionally when we tell the world to eat less red meat.

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Sources:

IARC Carcinogen List & Classifications

Cancer Statistics, 2020

Meat & Cancer FAQ via WHO

Studies:

“Red and processed meat consumption and colorectal cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis”

“The role of animal source foods in healthy, sustainable, and equitable food systems”

“Meat and tobacco: the difference between risk and strength of evidence”

“Contribution of terrestrial animal source food to healthy diets for improved nutrition and health outcomes”

“Health effects associated with consumption of unprocessed red meat: a Burden of Proof study”
“Consumption of red meat and processed meat and cancer incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies”“Dietary inclusion of nitrite-containing frankfurter exacerbates colorectal cancer pathology and alters metabolism in mice”“Production and supply of high-quality food protein for human consumption: sustainability, challenges, and innovations”“Micronutrient deficiencies among preschool-aged children and women of reproductive age worldwide: a pooled analysis of individual-level data from population-representative surveys”
“Priority Micronutrient Density in Foods”