There is no doubt that many residents in Anguilla consume large amounts of processed meats on a daily basis. For many years now, many researchers have been concerned about the hazards of eating too much-processed meats, but the recent report from WHO has caused many of us to further look into the harmful effects of processed meats.
What are processed meats?
When we use the term processed meats we generally mean meats that have been chemically altered. This means that the meats have been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavour or improve preservation. Most processed meats contain pork or beef, but processed meats may also contain other red meats – poultry, offal, or meat by-products such as blood. Common processed foods used in Anguilla include hot dogs (frankfurters), ham, sausages, corned beef, and canned meat and meat-based preparations and sauces.
Processed foods and cancer
Much controversy has followed the report of the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer. Its most recent report said there was enough evidence to rank processed meats as group 1 carcinogens because of a causal link with bowel cancer.
It places red meat in group 2A, as “probably carcinogenic to humans”. Eating red meat is also linked to pancreatic and prostate cancer, the IARC says.
Processed meat was classified as Group 1, carcinogenic to humans. What does this mean?
Placing processed meats in group 1 means there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans. In other words, there is convincing evidence that the agent causes cancer. The evaluation is usually based on epidemiological studies showing the development of cancer in exposed humans. In the case of processed meat, this classification is based on sufficient evidence from epidemiological studies that eating processed meat causes colorectal cancer.
The IARC’s experts concluded that each 50-gram (1.8-ounce) portion of processed meat eaten daily increased the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.
According to the most recent estimates by the Global Burden of Disease Project, an independent academic research organization, about 34 000 cancer deaths per year worldwide are attributable to diets high in processed meat.
Many independent groups have sounded alarm bells about processed meats before. The World Cancer Research Fund has long been advising people that processed meat is a cancer hazard.
The cancer risk is very small. It is inappropriate to suggest that any adverse effect of bacon and sausages on the risk of bowel cancer is comparable to the dangers of tobacco smoke which is packed with known chemical carcinogens and increases the risk of lung cancer in cigarette smokers by around twentyfold.
Should all of us need to stop eating processed meats?
No! The IARC’s decision does not mean you need to stop eating any red and processed meat.
It advises eating products such as ham, bacon and salami as little as possible and having no more than 500g a week of red meat, including beef, pork and lamb.
If you eat lots of processed meat you may want to think about cutting down. This is a good time to start eating more fish, especially small “pot” fish.
If you are a great lover of processed meats you are encouraged to combine eating processed meats with plenty of fruit, vegetables and cereal fibre, plus exercise and weight control. This will allow for a low risk of colorectal cancer and a more balanced diet.
What makes red meat and processed meat increase the risk of cancer?
Meat consists of multiple components such as haem iron. Meat can also contain chemicals that form during meat processing or cooking. For instance, carcinogenic chemicals that form during meat processing include N-nitroso compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Cooking of red meat or processed meat also produces heterocyclic aromatic amines as well as other chemicals including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are also found in other foods and in air pollution. Some of these chemicals are known or suspected carcinogens, but despite this knowledge it is not yet fully understood how cancer risk is increased by red meat or processed meat.
Conclusion
Many researchers in the past have suggested that there is a link between cancer and processed meats. The recent WHO report has added further evidence to the fact that eating large amounts of processed meats is bad for your health and can increase your risk of bowel cancer. There are other factors associated with bowel cancer, such as obesity and lack of exercise, but there is now convincing evidence that eating large amounts of processed meats is associated with bowel cancer. This is a good time to start eating healthy and getting regular exercise.
Ask Your Doctor is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. The reader should consult his or her physician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field is ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.
Dr Brett Hodge MB BS DGO MRCOG, is an Obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Family Doctor who has over thirty-five years in clinical practice. Dr Hodge has a medical practice in The Johnson Building in The Valley (Tel: 264 4975828).
