A team of researchers said there is no proof red or processed meat causes cancer.
The experts has said the work which links red meat with serious health problems is weak so people should carry on as they are, enjoying three to four portions of red or processed meat a week.
In this new study, a team of 14 experts from seven countries assessed the quality of the evidence available on eating meat and health outcomes.
The 14-member international team led by Bradley Johnston an associate professor of community health at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, concluded that those who like meat should not stop on health grounds. “Based on the research, we cannot say with any certainty that eating red or processed meat causes cancer, diabetes or heart disease,” he said.
Aside from public health, calls are multiplying for people to cut back on meat consumption because of the climate emergency and the greenhouse gas emissions that come from animal farming.
Sky News reports that however the new work hasn’t convinced many behind the existing research to do a U-turn. The new study comes against recommendations from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) which advises people to avoid processed meat altogether, or eat very little, and limit red meat to three portions a week.
The World Health Organization has classified red and processed meats as cancer-causing. Public health bodies worldwide urge people to limit their intake of red and processed meat to reduce their cancer risk. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) advises anyone who eats more than 90g of red or processed meat a day to cut down to 70g or less, and the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer has said red meat is “probably carcinogenic” to humans.
Via Sky News / The Guardian
