The link between diet and cancer is now well known in medicine. In recent years, researchers have been warning the population especially about meat consumption. It now seems certain that excessive consumption of meat greatly increases the likelihood of getting cancer. The World Health Organization itself includes, among its recommendations, that of never exceeding 500 grams of meat per week.
To back up the WHO, comes new research. The study calculated the variation in the chances of getting colorectal, breast and prostate cancer, starting from the consumption of meat. Here’s how much meat to eat per week to reduce risk, researchers found.
According to the research: the less meat we eat, the less we get cancer
The researchers took a very large sample, consisting of 472,377 people. At the start of the 11-year study, no member of the sample was diagnosed with cancer. Before starting the monitoring, the scholars gathered information on the diet, habits and physical characteristics (weight, height, age) of the members. Based on preliminary data, they divided the sample into 4 groups: regular meat consumers, moderate consumers, pescetarians, vegetarians. The difference between regular and moderate consumers was that the former ate meat more than 5 times a week, while the latter ate less.
Over the next 11 years, approximately 55,000 members of the sample developed a form of cancer. Most of these were regular meat consumers.
Here’s how much meat to eat per week to reduce the risk of colon cancer and other cancers
At the end of the monitoring, the researchers analyzed the data, finding that those who ate meat more than 5 times a week were more exposed to cancer. The risk decreased by 2% for moderate consumers, 10% for pescetarians and 14% for vegetarians. Among those who did not consume meat (or ate little of it), cases of colorectal cancer especially decreased. The data would support the thesis of the WHO, which has long been talking about a link between a meat-based diet and colorectal cancer.
But scholars would also have found a link between meat consumption and breast and prostate cancer. Specifically, vegetarian menopausal women recorded an 18% decrease in breast cancer cases. Among vegetarian men, prostate cancer cases were as much as 31% lower. While the risk decreased by 20% among those who consumed fish.
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We could greatly reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by following this simple eating habit