If you eat lots of red meat, you might have an increase risk of developing kidney cancer.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at the dietary habits (including meat consumption) of close to 500,000U.S.adults age 50 and older and their risk of developing cancer.
The investigators found that people in the top quintile of red meat consumption (about four ounces per day) were 19% more likely to be diagnosed with kidney cancer than those in the bottom quintile that have red meat consumption less than one ounce per day.
When the researchers looked at the most common types of kidney cancers that these people developed, they found that people who eat lots of red meat is at risk of developing papillary cancers.
Furthermore, they also confirmed the previous findings that people who ate the most well-done grilled and barbecued meat (and therefore had the highest exposure to carcinogenic chemicals from the cooking process) also had an extra risk of kidney cancer compared to those who didn’t eat grilled and barbecued meat.
To limit the exposure to meat cooking carcinogenic chemicals, one can avoid direct exposure of meat to an open flame or a hot metal surface, reducing the cooking time, and using a microwave oven to partially cook meat before exposing it to high temperatures.
This study supports the cancer prevention recommendations published by the American Cancer Society, which recommends limiting the intake of red and processed meats and preparing meat by cooking methods such as baking and broiling.
Source: Am J Clin Nutr 2011
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