Meat Linked to Many Cancers

Experts say cutting red meat consumption could save many lives

(NEWSER) - Daily consumption of red meat has been linked to higher mortality rates in the most comprehensive study on the subject ever made, the Washington Post reports. Researchers studied more than 500,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans and found that those who consumed 4 ounces of red meat a day were 30% likelier to die in the following decade, mainly from cancer and heart disease. More»

Landmark report frowns on excess body weight, processed meat

(NEWSER) - Excess body weight and consumption of red meat can increase the risk of cancer, even for people within a healthy weight range, researchers reported today in a 40-year international study. Being within the healthy Body Mass Index range of 18.5-24.9 isn’t enough, the Guardian reports, because cancer risk, especially in the breast and pancreas, rises as levels approach 25. More»

No improvement in young adults' mortality rates

(NEWSER) - Cancer death rates are down overall, the American Cancer Society says, falling 1.8% among men and 1.6% among women between 2004 and 2008. Rates have dropped across all ethnic groups except American Indians and Alaskan natives, the Los Angeles Times notes. But the incidence of some types of the disease is climbing, and the Wall Street Journal has details: Cancers of the oropharynx—around the back of the throat—tied to human papillomavirus are climbing, though oropharyngeal cancers unrelated to HPV are dropping, perhaps thanks to declining smoking rates. More»

Those who took it consistently over time benefited years later

(NEWSER) - Aspirin has long been touted as a means of protecting yourself from heart disease, and now a new study suggests it could dramatically lessen your cancer risk, too. Researchers looked at eight past aspirin trials, and found that patients who took aspirin, rather than a placebo, were 21% less likely to die of solid tumor cancers 20 years later, the New York Times reports. The dose taken doesn't seem to matter (and can be as small as 75 to 100 milligrams), but the longer the aspirin was taken, the lower the risk. More»

(NEWSER) - Grill-happy Americans who favor burned or charred red meat are 60% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than people who eat less incinerated protein, Reuters reports. Charred meat is known to contain cancer-causing compounds, but the study makes the first direct connection. “Turning down the heat when grilling, frying, and barbecuing,” the lead author said, will lower the risk. More»