Red meat cancer risk clue found

There are health concerns over red meat
Eating lots of red meat is linked with DNA damage which raises the risk
of bowel cancer, researchers suggest.
Scientists at the Dunn Human Nutrition Unit and the Open University
compared a red meat diet and a vegetarian diet.

Their study, published in Cancer Research, found the red meat diet was
associated with a higher level of DNA damage.

Previous work suggests regular meat eaters are significantly more
likely to develop bowel cancer.

Almost 17,000 people die from the disease each year.

Clues

Last year the Dunn team published a study suggesting the chance of
developing the disease was a third higher for people who regularly ate
more than two portions per day of red meat compared with those who ate
less than one portion per week.

 These combined discoveries ... may give us some clues about
developing a screening test for very early changes related to the
disease

Professor David Shuker, Open University

In the latest study the same Dunn team examined cells from the lining
of the colon taken from healthy volunteers eating different diets.

They found higher levels of DNA damage in the cells taken from people
eating red meat.

Work by the Open University team suggests the reason could be the
presence of substances called N-nitrosocompounds, which form in the
large bowel after eating red meat.

Their work suggests that these compounds combine with DNA, and alter it
so that it is more likely to undergo harmful changes or mutations that
increase the likelihood of cancer

Professor David Shuker, head of the Open University team, said: "These
combined discoveries have allowed us to link red meat consumption to an
increased risk of bowel cancer and may give us some clues about
developing a screening test for very early changes related to the
disease."

'Moderation is key'

Professor Colin Blakemore, chief executive of the Medical Research
Council, which funded the research, said: "Large bowel cancer is the
second most common cancer in western countries and nearly one million
cases occur each year worldwide.

"This latest study, together with the compelling epidemiological
evidence published last year, is an important step towards
understanding, and potentially preventing this common disease."

A spokesman for the charity Beating Bowel Cancer said: "The fact is a
third of all cancers are linked to what we eat and we must not
underestimate the importance of a well-balanced diet in the prevention
of bowel cancer.

"This study certainly seems to add further weight to previous evidence
about the possible link between bowel cancer and a high consumption of
red meat.

"As with all dietary advice, moderation is key as we already know that
a diet high in fat and red meat yet low in fibre, fruit and vegetables
can increase the risk of developing this disease - currently the second
biggest cause of cancer death in the UK."

Professor Annie Anderson, expert advisor to Bowel Cancer UK, said: "The
new data not only provides further evidence of risk but also flags the
importance of what we eat with our meat - for example, there is further
risk with low fibre intakes.

"Current data on eating trends suggests we are eating more fast foods,
which we know are high in calories and fat and implicated as a cause of
obesity and diabetes, but such cuisine may also be the very type of
meals (high in meat - and meat products - and low in vegetables) that
also contributes to bowel cancer risk."

But a spokesman for the Meat and Livestock Commission said: "The
results of this very small-scale study merely suggest a mechanism by
which red and processed meat might possibly increase an individual's
risk of developing colorectal cancer.

"The authors themselves acknowledge that larger-scale, prospective
studies are needed to identify how important and robust this suggested
mechanism could be."

Who loves ya.
Tom

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