Is there more to the red meat-cancer link than meets the eye?
Where’s the beef?
If the World Health Organization has its way, that old 1980s ad campaign is about to make a comeback.
Because WHO has just issued a report that’s going to scare the steak right off of lots of people’s dinner menus.
By now you may have heard that WHO researchers declared that processed meats — like hot dogs or that mystery sandwich loaf at your local deli — may cause cancer.
But then they took a leap that nobody was expecting. WHO is now saying that red meat — whether you’re talking about roast beef or your favorite medium-rare T-bone — is “probably” carcinogenic, too.
It sounds like the latest scare tactic from the anti-meat crowd. But today I’m going to sound a warning that I’d bet you never thought you’d hear from me.
Because there’s a better chance than we ever imagined that the supermarket steak in your freezer right now could give you cancer.
Just not the way they’d have you believe.
The fact that processed meat — like those dollar-a-package hot dogs — could make you sick shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. I’ve been warning you for years about the chemicals and preservatives they pack into this stuff.
They’ve even found traces or human DNA and animal droppings in some cheap hot dogs. That’s not just unhealthy — it’s disgusting!
But when WHO scientists classified red meat as “probably carcinogenic,” they put it in the exact same risk category as glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer.
And that’s not just a coincidence — it’s practically a smoking gun!
You see, red meat is one of the healthiest things you can eat. It’s not just a great source of protein — it’s also loaded with nutrients like iron, zinc and selenium and vitamins A, B and D that keep our blood, bones, immune systems and metabolism strong and healthy.
But let’s face it. The meat we’re eating today is not the same as people were eating 1,000 years ago — or even 50.
These days, just about all conventional cattle feeds are made with Roundup-ready genetically-modified corn, soy and alfalfa.
So you see what happens, right? Our cows fatten up on food that’s been doused in glyphosate. And then the weed killer can simply move up the food chain — right to our dinner plates.
But that’s only part of the risk. As I’ve been telling you for years, farmers are pumping cattle full of heavy-duty antibiotics to help fatten them up for slaughter. In fact, one of our main sources of antibiotic exposure comes from our food.
The problem? A study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology this spring found that long-term antibiotic exposure, including from meats we eat every day, can up our cancer risk.
So should you just cut red meat from your diet?
Heavens no! I’m sure not going to.
But when you buy red meat, you should make sure it’s as close as possible to what our ancestors ate. And that means organic, grass-fed and antibiotic-free.
And avoid over-cooking or charring the meat, which can release nasty chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HCAs). Cooking at a lower temperature — or even just marinating the meat before you cook it — can solve this problem.
Staying healthy isn’t about cutting red meat out of your diet. It’s about making sure you’re getting the right kind.
Because if there’s any “meat” to what the WHO is saying, it’s probably not just the steak on your plate that’s the problem.
The problem is what they added to it long before it got to you.
Sources:
“Bacon and other processed meats can cause cancer, experts say” Gus Trompiz, P.J. Huffstutter, October 27, 2015
