Red meat and bowel cancer

Cancer of the bowel is one of the most prevalent cancers within the Maltese community, being second only to breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in males.

Processed meats increase the risk of cancer more significantly- Maurice Cauchi

While we do not know exactly why this tumour occurs so commonly, we have several indicators blaming factors such as constipation resulting from a low-fibre diet, other dietary associations as well as overweight and lack of exercise. These are factors over which one is supposed to have some control, as opposed to genetic factors about which there is nothing much that one can do.

Recent evidence seems to pinpoint the causative factors in some further detail, and particularly points an accusing finger implicating red meat as a real culprit.

A report issued recently by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research’ Continuous Update Project (CUP) recommends that one should limit consumption of red meat to no more than 500 grams (half a kilo) of cooked meat (equivalent to about 700 grams of uncooked meat) per week. Increasing this amount by 100 grams per day increased the risk by 17 per cent.

The same applies even more strongly to processed meats which increase the risk even more significantly.

Processed meats contain, in addition, preservatives of various kinds which presumably account for the increased risk. The report referred to above estimates that an extra 100 grams of processed meat a day increases the risk by more than one-third (36 per cent).

The chairman of the CUP project, Alan Jackson, makes it clear that the incidence of bowel cancer can be reduced significantly if various dietary and lifestyle measures are taken seriously. Dr Jackson said: “People who want to reduce their risk should consider cutting down the amount (of meat) they eat”.

Whether such advice is likely to affect the lifestyle of the average person is questionable. A recent survey carried out by the popular science journal Cosmos in Australia asked the question: “Does the increased risk of cancer cause you to rethink your meat intake?”

The result showed that only 19 per cent stated that they have reduced their meat intake, while another 10 per cent indicated that maybe they will think about it. The majority (51 per cent) indicated that this information will have no effect, stating that “everything seems to give you cancer these days”.

In a recent article in The Times, the point was made that in spite of all the advice and propaganda about the health risks associated with smoking, there has been minimal effect on smoking habits by Maltese. It seems that we have reached a stage where the public has become blasé about the impact of environmental factors on health. This could be the result of information overload, to which, unfortunately, this article is contributing.

A case could be made to encourage further research not particularly into the causes of disease, but perhaps more urgently into those factors which militate against the practical applications of research findings, and specifically into ways of encouraging the average person at risk to change habits of a lifetime.