RED MEAT INCREASES RISK OF CANCER: New research dissects the connection between red meat and cancer

Red meat and cancers connection has been the topic of discussion for decades. The correlation between the two is now clear.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - A new study has discovered just why red meat causes cancer and other health problems in humans while other mammals consume red meat and experience no inflictions.

Pork, beef and lamb all contain the sugar Neu5Gc. This sugar is naturally produced by other mammals but not humans, according to new research.

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Consequently, when humans consume this foreign sugar, their body triggers an immune response and produce antibodies, eventually leading to cancer.

Red meat consumption has been linked to boosting the risk of colorectal, breast, prostate, ovarian and lung cancers.

"In this case, the foreign sugar is like a Trojan Horse. It becomes part of your own cells," said Dr. Ajit Varki, Professor of Medicine and Cellular And Molecular Medicine at the University of California. "When you react to a peanut or other allergy-causing substance, you're reacting to something foreign. This is the first example we know of something that's foreign, gets totally incorporated into you despite the fact that your immune system recognizes it."

Although red meat is a good source of vitamins, minerals and protein, too much red meat is detrimental for long-term health.

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"In general, lean red meat's nutritional benefits - it's a rich source of iron, for instance - may outweigh the cancer risks for people younger than 30 or 40," Varki said. "After that age threshold, the harmful effects tend to predominate. But large amounts of Neu5Gc would be harmful at any age."

The recommended amount of red meat consumption by health experts is no more than 2.5 oz a day. Eating more than that poses a threat to the body and puts the person at risk of cancer.

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