Red meat alters DNA - cancer link
Date: 2006-03-09
New research indicates that eating red meat alters DNA, which may explain its link to increased risk of bowel cancer.
The second most common form of cancer in the developed world, bowel cancer affects 35,000 people each year in the UK alone. Several studies have indicated a link between the disease and consumption of red and processed meats; now scientists believe they may have found the reason
In research published in the journal Cancer Research, scientists from the Dunn Human Nutrition Unit in Cambridge compared cells from healthy volunteers, some of whom ate large amounts of red meat and some who followed a vegetarian diet. They found that after red meat was eaten chemical (N-nitroso) compounds formed in the large bowel and attached themselves to the DNA, causing it to mutate and increasing the risk of bowel cancer.
It is thought that around 70 per cent of colorectal cancers could be prevented by changes in diet and lifestyle.
For information on switching to a healthy vegan diet, see The Vegan Society’s Plant Based Nutrition and Health or visit the nutrition section.
Story was originally on The Vegan Society's website
% 
Comments
Add your comment
Also see
Read more stories about Health
UK Hospital Food - Questionnaire
Vegan food in hospitals and care homes - can you help?
The Vegan Society is in the process of producing catering literature for hospitals and care homes. Our aim is to ensure that caterers have the facts at their finger tips so that whenever a vegan comes through their doors they are equipped to provide them with nutritious and varied vegan meals.
Red meat alters DNA - cancer link
New research indicates that eating red meat alters DNA, which may explain its link to increased risk of bowel cancer.
The second most common form of cancer in the developed world, bowel cancer affects 35,000 people each year in the UK alone. Several studies have indicated a link between the disease and consumption of red and processed meats; now scientists believe they may have found the reason
Guardian: School milk subsidies to end
An article in the Guardian contains the fabulous quote: But health experts agreed that the subsidies were no longer appropriate. Mike Rayner, the director of the British Heart Foundation's health promotion group, said: "I think the milk subsidy should have been abandoned a long time ago. For some children, lower-fat dairy products provide an important source of calcium, but they are not the only source and it would be better for health to subsidise fruit or even bread."
The Vegan Society is planning to respond
.
More Health stories.
News categories
- Animals (4)
- Anti-Fur (1)
- Culture (2)
- Environment (4)
- General (25)
- Health (4)
- Humane Research or Anti-Vivisection (2)
- Media (6)
- Petition's, Questionnaires and other ways to help (9)
- Politics (2)