Beef: It's What's Rotting in Your Colon

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal (colon and rectal) cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. It has been widely linked to the consumption of red and processed meats.

A 2005 study by the American Cancer Society (ACS), for example, found that people who eat large amounts of red or processed meat over a long period of time have a higher risk of colorectal cancer. Nearly 150,000 adults participated in the ACS study, and those who ate the most red meat were 30 to 40 percent more likely to develop cancer in the lower part of the colon than those who ate the least red meat. The study participants who ate the most processed meats were 50 percent more likely to develop colon cancer and 20 percent more likely to develop rectal cancer than those who ate the least processed meats.

The ACS researchers defined "high" consumption of red meat as three or more ounces per day for men (about the amount of meat in a large fast-food hamburger) and two or more ounces per day for women. For processed meat, such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs, ham, bologna, and salami, "high" consumption was one ounce eaten five or six days per week for men, and two or three days per week for women.

Another study conducted by researchers at the Medical Research Council and the Open University Department of Chemistry in the United Kingdom showed a similar link between red and processed meats and bowel cancer, and a massive European Prospective Investigation of Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study also cited preserved and red meats as major culprits for colorectal cancer.

The EPIC study was the largest study of diet and cancer ever undertaken. It involved more than half a million people from ten European countries. The study also indicated that a diet high in fiber can help reduce your risk of cancer. The study participants who ate the most fiber reduced their risk of colorectal cancer by as much as 40 percent.

Meat and dairy products have absolutely no fiber. They are high in fat, calories, concentrated protein, and cholesterol; even "low fat" dairy products are packed with fat and cholesterol, relative to fruits, vegetables, and grains. The National Cancer Institute in the United States has reported that "colorectal cancer seems to be associated with diets that are high in fat and calories and low in fiber." The ACS recommends that people choose foods from plant sources and limit their intake of high-fat foods, particularly from animal sources.

Based on these findings, and on the terrible suffering of animals raised and slaughtered for consumption, I encourage everyone to commemorate National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month by switching to a healthy, humane vegetarian diet. Recipes and product suggestions can be found on VegCooking.com.