The link between Red Meat and Cancer
Cancer is an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. There are exists more than 100 types of cancer, which consists of skin cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer and many more. Overeating of red meat increases the chances of being infected with cancer.
Beef, lamb, mutton, and goat meat are examples of red meat. Exposing flesh to high temperatures for a prolonged time results in the formation of heterocyclic amines, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon which causes colorectal cancer. Red also contains haem irons which stimulate the formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compound which causes colorectal tumorigenesis (Demeyer, Mertens, De Smet, & Ulens, 2016). Grilling, and barbequing expose meat to intense direct flames which causes meat fats to meltdown on the fire causing flashes, which contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which stick on the surface of the flesh.
Processed meat, which is made from red meat, is cooked at a high temperature which exposes the meat to heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Johnson, 2017). Processed meat is rich in fats more than red meat, hence through the synthesis of bile acids stimulates carcinogenesis which causes cancer. Like red meat, processed meat also contains N-nitroso compounds which are believed to cause cancer.
Red meat contains iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and protein which are essential components in the body. One is not required to cut red meat from the diet completely, but reducing the amount of red meat consumed reduces the risk of being infected with cancer cells (Xu, Wang & Li, 2015). Cancer Council recommends that a person should not eat more than 445g of red meat per week, which equals 700g of raw meat
References
Xu, R., Wang, Q., & Li, L. (2015). A genome-wide systems analysis reveals strong link between colorectal cancer and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a gut microbial metabolite of dietary meat and fat. BMC genomics, 16(7), S4.
Johnson, I. T. (2017). The cancer risk related to meat and meat products. British medical bulletin, 121(1).
Demeyer, D., Mertens, B., De Smet, S., & Ulens, M. (2016). Mechanisms linking colorectal cancer to the consumption of (processed) red meat: a review. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 56(16), 2747-2766.