Study minimizes relationship of red meat consumption with cancer

A new study by scientists from seven countries has caused controversy by suggesting that eating red meat does not cause cancer. According to the researchers, there is insufficient evidence that food intake is related to increased cases of the disease and other conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke.

Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal, research by scientists at McMaster and Dalhousie universities in Canada said that red meat as well as processed meat - dried meat, bacon, ham, sausage and sausage, among others - is not too much. as harmful to health as doctors and nutritionists say.

To reach this conclusion they have systematically reviewed dozens of studies over the past few years involving thousands of people and found that there is no significant statistical data to link meat intake with cancer and cardiovascular disease. According to the researchers, this link is small and the amount of evidence is very low.

Contrary to the International Cancer Research Agency

In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) International Cancer Research Agency warned of the harmful effects of red meat, stating that they would probably be linked to the onset of the disease. The National Cancer Institute (INCA) has the same warning on its page.

But the team led by scientists at Canadian universities, which was attended by 14 researchers, used a different methodology to analyze previous studies over three years.

According to Gordon Guyatt, in a statement from McMaster University, one of those responsible for the study, the methodology was more rigorous and therefore the results diverged from conventional research. This has even prompted many health groups and doctors to request the removal of material from the internet from the scientific journal responsible for publishing the article.

An important clarification

Bradley Johnston, one of the study participants, provided an important insight into the outcome of the research.

In an interview with the BBC, he said: "We are not saying that there is no risk, we are saying that there is only low certainty evidence of a very small reduction in cancer and other adverse health consequences of reduced red meat consumption."