Processed Meat and Cancer Alert

There is no one holding up the average American as the picture of health and at our medical clinic, we clearly see the alarming statistics. More than 66% of us are overweight and we are approaching a 40% obesity rate. We, as a populace, are certainly not one to brag that we have the “answers” to ideal weight and health.

But is our love of a particular type of food, specifically red and processed meat increases cancer risk? We find that answer to be a resounding “yes”.

It appears that part of our poor health lies in our love of something that is as American as apple pie. I’m speaking of meat, barbeque, bacon, sausage, salami, pepperoni, and the like. Americans are obsessed with their bacon, burgers and other processed meats are not far behind.

I cringe, and apologize profusely to my cells, for the years during which my mother sent me to school every day (every day, no exaggeration) with bologna and American cheese sandwich…. Yikes! What was the woman thinking??! I have tried to make up for the nutritional gaff of my childhood with a very healthy diet in adulthood.

As a clinical nutritionist and certified functional medicine practitioner at Root Cause Medical Clinic, I did not find the recent news concerning the processed meats and cancer risk to be a surprise. With the type of root cause medicine we practice here at Root Cause Medical, such data has been known to us for many years. Red meat and processed meat have been linked to heart disease, obesity, and cancer for literally decades. But I was quite happy to see it hit the news with the hope that more people would take heed and change their diets.

In 2007 an “exhaustive” study by the World Cancer Research Fund in collaboration with the American Institute for Cancer Research described a link between animal protein consumption and multiple forms of cancer.

A 2009 study found that those who ate red and processed meats have an increased risk of dying from heart disease, cancer, and other causes, as compared to those who don’t eat those products.

More recently, a 2011 study using meta-analysis (analyzing the results of many studies) was funded by the World Cancer Research Fund International and discovered a link between processed meats and red meats causing colorectal cancer.

In 2013 a massive study including forty-seven authors from across the European continent and elsewhere cited a link between meat and increased risk of heart disease and increased cancer mortality. This most recent research study was the largest to date.

Cancer is a horrible disease and it’s claiming too many lives. Despite all the correlations between cancer and diet, you will still hear many doctors claim there’s little to no association between what you eat and how you feel. They simply advise you to eat a “healthy diet”. What’s a healthy diet, you may then ask? To that question, you’ll receive a vague, general answer involving “everything in moderation” or some such trite. From Root Cause Medical Clinic, we feel it’s time to speak the truth and really confront what it’s going to take to reverse the dwindling spiral of our health in this country. From our youngest children to older adults, a dietary overhaul is needed in our country.

Before we discuss what we should do, let me give you a little more information on the recent research regarding processed meats and meat in general.

The World Health Organization (WHO) officially released a review late October 2015 whereby they identified processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning evidence firmly links it to cancer. Red meats (defined as all types of mammalian muscle meat, including beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, and goat) fell into Group 2A, which includes foods or substances that probably cause cancer, a scary category that includes DDT, a toxic pesticide, mustard gas, a chemical weapon, and the insecticide malathion. To complete the designations, if you’re interested, Groups 2B, 3, and 4 contain substances that are possibly carcinogenic (2B), not yet classifiable as carcinogenic (3), or probably not carcinogenic (4).

These Are the Meats To Absolutely Avoid

The report defined “processed meats” as including the following:

• Hot dogs
• Sausages
• Corned beef
• Beef jerky
• Pepperoni
• Bologna
• Packaged turkey
• Smoked turkey
• Chicken nuggets
• Charcuterie
• Turkey bacon
• Canadian bacon

Anything that’s been smoked, cured, salted, fermented, smoked, or altered via any process to enhance its flavor is part of the dangerous, cancer-causing category.

In processed meats, the risk comes from sodium nitrate, added to the meat as a preservative. Once it is consumed it transforms into a chemical type called nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic. An additional risk comes from unprocessed red meats that still get converted to nitrosamines in the intestine by our gut bacteria.

Surprisingly, even the “no nitrates added” meats fall into the dangerous category. If you’ve bought turkey bacon or turkey sausage that said “no nitrates” you will likely find that it was treated with celery juice. Sounds innocuous but it turns out that nitrates are still a problem, even if they’re natural, and celery juice is high in sodium nitrate.

If you dig a little further you’ll find that many vegetables are high in nitrates as well. Why do they get a pass? Vegetables also contain vitamin C that inhibits nitrosamine production. Meats do not.

An additional factor marking a difference between eating plants and animals lies in the iron contained in each. Meat contains something called “heme iron”, while plants contain “non-heme iron”. Heme iron is bonded do an additional molecule (protoporphyrin) and this type of iron is absorbed by the body much more so than non-heme iron. The result? The heme iron can get into the colon causing toxic reactions to occur.

How Do You Cook Your Meat?

Root Cause Medical Clinic checks with patients on how they typically cook their meat. If the answer involves charcoal and a barbeque or cooking it over high heat, carcinogens are forming as its being cooked, and we educate our patients of that fact.

The quantity of meat needed to put one at risk is not much, only 50 grams per day. This is equivalent to 1 hot dog, 2 slices of ham or Canadian bacon, 5 slices of hard salami, or 6 slices of bacon.

We realize that despite all the compelling, shall we say damning evidence, the likelihood of processed meats and red meat becoming a smaller component of the American diet is unlikely. The meat business is BIG in this country – to the tune of about $800 billion in 2013. The industry has over 1,000 lobbyists on its payroll and the sector spends over $200 per year on lobbying and other advocacy activities.

Don’t expect the American environment to suddenly turn “anti-meat” and don’t expect restaurants to suddenly eschew meat on their menus.

What’s Our Takeaway Advice?

Eat less meat. In my opinion, don’t ever eat processed meat such as those listed above, and in general, cut down your meat consumption dramatically. Based on my experience you’ll notice something interesting:

1. You’ll stop craving meat,
2. When you do eat it you’ll enjoy it less and probably not feel great.

There’s a reason for these responses and I would encourage you to “listen” to your body as it delivers these messages. Consuming very little to no meat for a few months will likely be enough time to notice the above reaction.

What Should You Eat?

Of course, be responsible with what you do eat:

1. Seven to nine servings of organic fruits and veggies each day – heavier on the green veggies, please. You’ll get some protein from the veggies.

2. Eight glasses minimum of clean water.

3. Do consume organic, raw nuts (including coconut) and seeds, along with cooked beans and legumes each day. The nuts and seeds are healthy sources of good fat, along with avocado, a fruit. The nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes are a great source of plant-based protein.

4. Limit grains and dairy products. Organic brown rice and quinoa are fine for some, others find themselves slimmer and more energetic with few grains. And of course, gluten and dairy are the two most common food sensitivities, so it’s wise to determine if they create problems for you. Interestingly, in our experience here at Root Cause Medical Clinic, most people feel better, eliminating dairy products.

5. Exercise at least 5 days per week.

6. Have fun with your healthy eating plan. Utilizing a variety of herbs and spices to make your food taste delicious is also something you should strive for. If your meals are tasty and satisfying, you won’t miss the “bad” stuff. And if you need any help with cooking ideas, visit Dr. Vikki’s Kitchen on YouTube. I show you how to make delicious, fast, healthy meals that are health-sustaining.

This is a change, I realize. We have been raised to believe we “need” meat in order to get enough protein to be healthy and strong. It turns out that 97% of Americans get adequate, if not more than enough in most cases, of the daily protein they need. This includes vegetarians, by the way.

However, 97% of Americans DON’T get adequate fiber, something that helps the body detoxify and is a cancer prevention tool. The dramatic increase in cancer incidence is something we can change with dietary and lifestyle alterations. While there are many facets to preventing cancer, don’t ignore this important message regarding meat. You could be doing a lot of things right, but if you consume a high meat diet, much of that effort could be wasted.

Please share this with others. We are committed to increasing awareness of how to improve health through our specialized techniques of root cause medicine.