Could Eating Less Red Meat Reduce Risk of Bowel Cancer?

According to England's Department of Health, eating less red meat can reduce the risk of bowel cancer.

The advisers recommend eating no more than 70g per day of red meat--this is equivalent to about three rashers of bacon or two sausages (as reported by BBC News).

England's Department of Health advisers argue that eating 100 to 120g of red or processed meats can increase the risk of bowel cancer by 20 or 30 percent.

Yet not everyone is convinced that eating less red meat could reduce the risk of bowel cancer. Some experts have suggested that reducing too much red meat could increase the risk of iron deficiency, leading to dizziness, tired spells, and potentially affecting brain development.

There, of course, has been a long-standing debate about the merits of vegetarianism and a diet free of red meat. Vegetarian-nutrition.info argues that the meat-based diets can lead to rising health care costs and medical bills. VN.info points out that medical costs attributable to meat consumption range from $30 to $60 billion per year.

Of course, that statistic doesn't discuss how much meat these people are consuming, what type, and whether or not it is processed.

As far as cancer risks, VN.info argues that many of the methods for preparing meat can increase risk of cancer. Grilled, cured, and smoked meats produce polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines.

Proponents of a reduced red meat (but non-vegetarian) diet do make the distinction between red meat and processed meat, claiming that consumption of processed meat leads to greater risks of bowel cancer than unprocessed red meat.

It seems the best solution is finding a healthy middle ground. Eating three cheeseburgers per day would probably be unhealthy, while eating two pieces of turkey bacon with breakfast may not be so bad, especially combined with a diet high in fruits and vegetables.

I tried going vegetarian for a few months at one point, but didn't have much success. I found that soy products and other non-meat sources of protein didn't seem to provide the same level of energy that I found from consuming meat. Another side effect was that during my trial I ended up craving more carbohydrates and sugar products to compensate.

From experience, I found that a diet high in fruits and vegetables, lower in sugar, and moderate in meat consumption was a healthier solution for me.

As the interim Chief Medical Officer for England explains, "Red meat can be part of a healthy balanced diet, but people who eat a lot should consider cutting down. The occasional steak or extra few slices of lamb is fine, but regularly eating a lot could increase your risk of bowel cancer" (as reported in the BBC article).