Two new studies related to cancer research recently concluded and had their reports published in the Journal of American Research Association (JAMA). Both serve as eye-openers to people who have held myths about cancer and how it is formed.
One study concluded that having a regular diet that largely consisted of red meat greatly increased the chances of developing colorectal cancers by a considerable degree. This research was conducted by the American Cancer Society of Atlanta.
The other study busted the myth that a pure veggie diet could protect against breast cancer; although the same kind of diet proved very effective in keeping away heart disease.
The first study simply reinforces time-honored nutritional advice, suggesting that fruits and vegetables replace red meat on the menu. This study followed the health condition of 150,000 Americans whose diet consisted of large portions of red or processed meat. Their health was closely monitored over a period of nearly two decades that ended in 2001.
People who said that they ate the equivalent of at least one hamburger a day were 30 percent more likely to develop cancer of the lower intestines as compared to people whose meat consumption was very little or none at all.
That raises a question: how much red meat is too much? A member of the research team when asked this question said “We would define high consumption as more than nine servings of meat in a week, whether it is beef, pork or lamb.” That amounts to at least one meal largely comprising red meat daily. Such a meat-heavy diet would definitely increase a person’s risk of developing colorectal cancer by at least 50 percent. The list of high risk red meats included cold cuts and bacon.
The result of this study echoes the report of a similar research that was conducted in 1997, involving 4700 subjects. It was found by that study that a diet that was high in fruits and vegetables helped prevent certain types of cancers.
The other study came as rather a surprise. It found that a diet that was largely fruit and vegetables was unlikely to help prevent breast cancer, which is the most common form of cancer among women. However, there is no doubt that a purely vegetarian diet can greatly reduce and even prevent heart attacks.
Some oncologists and other specialists from the medical fraternity have praised these studies as “timely and significant.”, and “a large and reliable study”, etc. Colon cancer is the third most common cause for cancer deaths in America. There are also some professionals who found fault with the studies. One claimed that the first study only monitored the health and diet habits of adults, completely ignoring children.
The reports come around the time that the federal health agencies were expected to release new dietary guidelines that encouraged more fruits and vegetables.
