The study also showed that industrially processed meat (sausages, bacon) is more dangerous than red meat in itself: the risk of developing colorectal cancer increases by 20% after every 25 grams of processed meat (a thin slice of bacon) and by 19% after every 50 grams of red meat (a thick slice of roast beef).
It is important to note that studies on the relationship between the consumption of red meat and the development of cancer have been conducted for twenty years. In 2015, the World Health Organization included processed meat (sausages, ham, canned goods) in the list of products that “definitely” increase the risk of getting cancer. And red meat is on the list of products that “probably” increase this risk.
According to a new study, in people who ate 76 grams of red meat per day (which is the upper limit of the recommended norm), the risk of developing colon cancer (colorectal cancer) increased by 20% compared with the risk for those who ate about 21 grams ( a piece of ham).
For anyone who wants to reduce their consumption of red meat and reduce their risks, doctors from the World Cancer Research Fund give the following tips :
- do “fasting” days several times a week – without meat;
- add legumes, for example lentils, chickpeas, beans;
- change the ratio of meat and garnish in a plate – naturally, in favor of the second;
- make it a rule not to eat meat without vegetables.
Only 2 drinks significantly increase the risk of death (and this is not alcohol)
EPIC is a permanent group of people whose members were enrolled between 1992 and 2000 and live in Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
When registering, participants provided information on the consumption of food and drinks by filling out special forms. The average age of the participants was 51 years and 71% were women. No one had heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or stroke.
Of all those who participated in the analysis, 41,693 died during follow-up, which averaged 16.4 years and ranged from 11.1 years in Greece to 19.2 years in France.
Fruit juice is not a sweet drink
Researchers compared deaths while observing those who drank sweetened drinks every day with those who drank less than one glass a month.
The consumption of sweetened drinks included the consumption of carbonated soft drinks: cola and lemonade, isotonic or energy drinks, diet and low-calorie soft drinks and diluted syrups. The list did not include fruit juices.
The results showed that consuming two or more glasses a day is associated with a higher risk of death from all causes. The team observed a relationship in both men and women.
At the beginning of the study, participants also answered questions about their health and lifestyle. Thanks to this information, researchers were able to exclude any influence of such factors: physical activity, body mass index (BMI), education, smoking, and diet.
As it turned out, the use of sugary drinks most often provokes diseases of blood circulation and digestion. But a connection with the risk of cancer was not found.
General unhealthy diet marker
Surprisingly, scientists found that sugary drinks also negatively affected the health of people whose BMI was in a healthy range. Such results suggest that the relationships they observe are likely to have nothing to do with body fat.
In a commentary by Reuters, co-author of the study, Ph.D. Neil Murphy of the Nutrition and Metabolism Division of the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, suggests that high consumption of sweetened drinks may be a marker of an overall unhealthy diet.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States there is indeed a connection between the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and a less healthy lifestyle in general.
