| The "politically correct" view is that you should stay | | | | hot dogs, cold cuts, etc. But in the studies that |
| away from red meat because it causes heart disease | | | | consider red meat and processed meat as separate |
| and even cancer. This is a lie. The truth is that meat | | | | categories, negative health effects are only |
| is an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and | | | | associated with processed meat, not red meat. In |
| minerals. | | | | other words, red meat is good for you, while |
| A study published in the American Journal of Clinical | | | | processed meat is harmful, especially in large |
| Nutrition (April 2010) examined the association | | | | quantities, because of added chemicals, such as |
| between eating red meat, processed meat, poultry | | | | cancer-promoting nitrites. |
| and fish and the risk of developing cancer of the | | | | And if you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. |
| ovaries. The researchers compared 2049 women | | | | People have been eating meat for thousands of |
| with ovarian cancer to 2191 women without cancer | | | | years with very beneficial results. Heart disease and |
| and obtained their dietary information. | | | | cancer, which are #1 and #2 causes of death today, |
| They found no association between meat and | | | | were very rare until the 20th century. They reached |
| cancer. In other words, women who ate meat did | | | | epidemic proportions after people switched from |
| not have increased risk of ovarian cancer. But there | | | | traditional diet, which included red meat and whole |
| was a significant increase of cancer in women who | | | | milk dairy, to unnatural low-fat or non-fat products, |
| had high intake of processed meat. Poultry had a mild | | | | from animal fats to vegetable oils, and from |
| beneficial effect, while fish reduced the risk by about | | | | unrefined grains to white rice and white bread. |
| 25%, probably because fish supplies beneficial | | | | Red meat is the best source of conjugated linoleic |
| omega-3 fatty acids. | | | | acid (CLA), a fatty substance that has |
| I wrote previously that in all the studies that showed | | | | cancer-preventive properties. Grass-fed beef is also a |
| an association between meat intake and health | | | | good source of omega-3 fatty acids, just like fish. So |
| problems (heart disease, cancer, etc.), the category | | | | enjoy your steak or hamburger and relish the fact |
| "meat" included not only red meat, but also bacon, | | | | that you are protecting yourself against cancer. |