Red meat has long been vilified and blamed for everything from obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol to multiple forms of cancer.
But now a top doctor has revealed whether the dinnertime favorite is actually behind the wave of early bowel cancer, considered cancer before the age of 50.
Dr. Peter Attia, a Canadian-American physician, appeared on the British podcast Triggernometry to discuss the role of diet on chronic diseases.
Red meat has been in the middle of a huge amount of research into a potential link between food and colon cancer.
And the U.S. government has even proposed recommendations that Americans limit red meat and add more plant protein and leaner options like chicken to their diet.
Several recent studies have suggested that red meat may increase the risk of colon cancer due to its high levels of saturated fat. Additionally, experts have theoretically digested red meat causing harmful chemicals that attack cells lining the colon.
Dr. However, Attia called many of the recent reports on red meat and colon cancer “really, really bad science” that are “fraught with errors.”
Echoing the sentiments of other doctors, including the rumor that Trump administration Dr. Aseem Malhotra has, said Dr. Attia that much of the research does not distinguish between unprocessed meats like steak and processed meats like hot dogs and jerky.
Additionally, he noted that studies don't take into account that people who avoid red meat are also more health-conscious and prioritize balanced diets and exercise.
This could explain why studies have linked red meat to colon cancer, as people who eat red meat are also more likely to lead unhealthy lifestyles.
Dr. Peter Attia (pictured here), a Canadian-American physician, said on a recent episode of the TriggerNometry podcast that much of the research blaming red meat for an increase in colon cancer is “full of errors.”
Dr. Attia said: “I think there's honestly more nuance to it than that and I think it also comes down to the type of red meat you're going to consume. And I don't think all red meat is created equal.
“This is one of those enduring examples of really, really bad science that just never dies.”
Early colon cancer diagnoses are expected to increase by 90 percent from 2010 to 2030 in people ages 20 to 34.
A recent report from the University of Missouri-Kansas City found that colorectal cancer rates have increased across all age groups over the past two decades.
Bowel cancer rates increased by 500 percent in children aged 10 to 14 and 333 percent in teenagers aged 15 to 19.
Rates rose 71 percent in people aged 30 to 34 to seven cases per 100,000 people. Among people 35 to 39, rates rose 58 percent to 12 cases per 100,000 people.
No single cause has been identified for the surge, but ultra-processed foods are thought to play a role because they contain fats, sugars and other chemicals that lead to inflammation in the digestive tract.
Regular red meat is not processed. Processed meats have preservatives added to keep them fresh longer or improve the taste.
Red meat includes beef, pork, lamb and deer. Processed meats, meanwhile, include bacon, ham, sausage, hot dogs and beef jerky.
The push to limit red meat began in the 1970s and 1980s as evidence emerged that the saturated fat in red meat increased levels of LDL cholesterol — the “bad” type of cholesterol.
High cholesterol has long been shown to cause plaque to build up in the arteries, putting strain on the heart.
Dr. Around that time, Attia pointed to a growing movement to “move people from beef to chicken” to reduce saturated fat intake and cholesterol.
He said, 'That's true, depending on how much you eat.
Dr. Attia argued that much of the science surrounding red meat and colon cancer does not distinguish between unprocessed and processed meat
“What has given that idea more legs is some of the epidemiology that has shown, although not consistently, that people who eat red meat have higher risks of type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease than people who avoid red meat.”
However, he cautioned that these studies have only shown associations between red meat and chronic diseases such as heart disease and colon cancer. They have not proven a direct cause.
Furthermore, on average, people who consume red meat and people who do not consume red meat are proxies for very different behaviors.
'So people who consume more red meat will tend to consume more processed foods. In fact, a lot of the red meat they consume is in the form of processed red meat like jerky sticks and things like that. '
Several recent studies have looked specifically at processed meat and colon cancer.
For example, a report published last year in NPJ Precision Oncology suggested that processed meat produces metabolites that researchers said called “cancer cells” and “hijacks” normal cells, causing them to mutate and grow uncontrollably.
And other recent research suggests that eating processed meat more than once a week is associated with an increased risk of colon cancer markers, which show the presence of cancer in body fluids such as blood and urine.
Unlike processed meat, red meat has not been preserved or treated to taste better
Furthermore, Dr. Attia notes: “People who go out of their way to avoid red meat tend to engage in many pro-health behaviors,” such as exercising, avoiding smoking, and eating more fruits and vegetables.
He said: 'If you take away all those things and normalize saying vegetable consumption, that carcinogenic effect of red meat completely disappears.
“If you just say, 'Let's compare people who eat red meat with people who don't, you're going to get that difference in risk, but yet when you start adjusting for everything, including servings of vegetables in a day, all of a sudden it disappears. the alleged harm of red meat. '
Vegetables like broccoli, meanwhile, are high in fiber, which helps feed healthy bacteria in the gut and helps stool move through the digestive system, helping it spread harmful chemicals into the colon.
Instead of cutting away from red meat, Dr. Attia recommends investing in high-quality, minimally processed picks over processed meat.
He said: 'Most of the literature condemning red meat is very flawed, and I would say if a person is consuming red meat they should probably invest a little bit more and get the red meat which is probably of the highest quality . '
