Meat of the Matter

Meat of the Matter

Meat can kill you.

That’s one of the key points that came out of a major review of 7,000 studies. The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) spent six years preparing this research. Too bad they went to all that trouble and then produced advice that wasn’t quite on the mark.

Fortunately, HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., is here to help them fine-tune their results for some truly useful advice (especially for vegetarians).

Apples & oranges

This headline from FoodNavigator-USA caught my eye: “Red and Processed Meats Increase Cancer Risk, Says Study.”

Of the 10 recommendations offered by the WCRF in this report, FoodNavigator decided to feature this one: “Limit intake of red meat and avoid processed meat.”

Researchers found that high intake of red meat and processed meat was linked to a 30 percent increase in colorectal cancer risk. But lumping red meat with processed meat is like lumping “Citizen Kane” with “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.” So much of processed meat is pure junk: binders, fillers, and a host of chemicals that preserve, color, and flavor. There’s really no comparison to the quality nutrition found in meat from an animal that’s been properly fed and cared for (i.e.; not raised on a factory farm).

Unfortunately, very few of us consume such high quality meat, which is rarely available in the average grocery store. Here’s how Dr. Spreen put it when I asked him for his thoughts on the WCRF report: “The studies on the meat and colon effects do not take into account the presence of herbicides, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and the use of antibiotics and hormones given to the animals that produce most of our meat. So, the problem may very well be toxic chemical exposure, not ingestion of meat, per se.”

Filling in the Blanks

I can easily imagine someone reading the FoodNavigator-USA article and deciding: That’s it! I’m going vegetarian! What they may not take into consideration is the essential nutrition they get from high quality meat.

In previous e-Alerts, Dr. Spreen has noted how important it is for vegetarians to include vitamin B-12 in their supplement regimen. He states flatly that vegetarians cannot ingest this important B in adequate amounts unless they take a B-12 supplement. The irony here is that the WCRF report also offers this recommendation: “Aim to meet nutritional needs through diet alone.”

Good luck with that.

I wondered what other supplements Dr. Spreen might recommend for a strict vegetarian.

Dr. Spreen: “Besides the B-12, I’d add some conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), as that form only comes from being processed within an animal. Getting enough of the omega-3 oils in general is a problem, as the ratio tends to be more omega-6 in vegetarians (no fish). I’d also add some saturated fat – since butter and lard (animal fat) are out, vegetarians (especially young ones) are missing the type of fat that’s needed for cell membrane production (kind of important, as you might imagine). In that case I’d be pushing for the use of coconut oil and palm kernel oil (neither one being popular these days).

“Iron is a problem (especially since only animal sources provide iron in a form that ‘insulates’ its oxidative effects from the body within a heme ring), so I’d add an iron supplement.

“Vitamin D is no problem if the individual gets enough whole-body solar exposure daily. That’s kind of rare, unfortunately, so I’d be adding that.

“High quality protein (egg highest, milk next) is an issue. You’re only left with soy, a sad substitute (especially in young boys), but I’d have to add that.

“Vegetarianism is a wonderful cleanse in the short term – I definitely recommend it. In the long terma total disaster.”

Ouch. I know a lot of our members won’t enjoy hearing their diet described as a “disaster.” But when a wide spectrum of nutrition is missing, a disaster is in the making without some supplementary help.

Talk to your doctor or an experienced dietician before adding any of these supplements to your daily regimen.

Sources:
“Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective” World Cancer Research Fund, American Institute for Cancer Research, 2007, wcrf.org
“Red and Processed Meats Increase Cancer Risk, Says Study” Laura Crowley, FoodNavigator-USA, 11/2/07, foodnavigator-usa.com