Bacon and hot dog lovers, beware: They can cause cancer, study says By Associated Press, adapted by Newsela staff on 11.03.15 Word Count 934
Steaks are displayed for sale at a grocery store in McLean, Virginia, Jan. 18, 2010. Photo: AP/J. Scott Applewhite
PARIS — Bacon, hot dogs and cold cuts are under fire: The prestigious and influential World Health Organization (WHO) declared that eating processed meat raises one's risk of developing cancer, in particular cancer of the large intestine, or colon. It added that red meat is probably harmful, too. Cancer experts welcome the WHO report, the most thorough study yet on the longsuspected link between meat and cancer. While U.S. rates of colon cancer have been declining, it is the No. 2 cancer for women worldwide and No. 3 for men, according to the WHO.
Meat producers are angry about the WHO report. They have begun fighting back.
Bacon, Sausage And Cancer Link The WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) analyzed decades of research, and for the first time, put processed meats in the same danger category as smoking. Its findings do not mean salami is as bad as cigarettes, only that there is a confirmed link to cancer. Even then, the risk is relatively small.
The WHO researchers defined processed meats as anything transformed to improve its flavor or preserve it, including bacon, hot dogs, bologna, sausages, beef jerky and anything smoked. Their definition of red meat includes beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton and goat. A group of 22 scientists from the IARC evaluated more than 800 studies about meat and cancer, conducted on several continents. The studies looked at more than a dozen types of cancer in populations with varied diets, focusing on the past 20 years. Based on that analysis, the IARC classified processed meat as cancer-causing, noting links in particular to colon cancer, but also to stomach cancer. Red meat probably causes cancer as well, the IARC said.
Connecting Chemicals To Cancer The results of the WHO's study are not that shocking in the United States, where many parents fret over chemicals added to preserved meats like bacon or bologna. The American Cancer Society has long cautioned against eating too much steak or deli meat. Experts have long warned of the dangers of certain chemicals used to preserve, flavor or color meat, such as nitrites and nitrates, which the body converts into cancer-causing compounds. It is also known that grilling or smoking meat can create chemicals thought to cause cancer. The WHO's report said grilling, pan frying or other high-temperature methods of cooking red meat are the most problematic. They produce the highest amounts of chemicals suspected of causing cancer.
The Meat Industry Bites Back The WHO agency's findings could shake up public health attitudes elsewhere, however. In many European countries, sausages are much loved and smoked ham is considered a national delicacy. The findings could also hurt the American meat industry, which is protesting vigorously the linking of their products with cancer. The industry says the disease involves a number of lifestyle and environmental factors. The North American Meat Institute said in a statement that "cancer is a complex disease not caused by single foods."
Smaller Portions, Lower Risk The WHO's agency made no specific dietary recommendations and said it did not have enough data to define how much processed meat is too dangerous. However, it said the risk rises with the amount consumed.
The agency's scientists conducted an analysis of 10 studies about meat and cancer. The analysis suggested that eating a 1.75-ounce portion of processed meat daily increases the risk of colon cancer by about 18 percent over a lifetime. Roughly speaking, that amount of meat is equivalent to a hot dog or a few slices of bologna. Overall, the lifetime risk of developing colon cancer in the United States is about 1 in 20, or 5 percent, according to the cancer society. By the WHO's calculations, having a cold-cut sandwich every day would raise that risk to only around 6 percent. For an individual, the risk of developing colon cancer as a result of eating processed meat "remains small," said Dr. Kurt Straif of the IARC. However, the risk "increases with the amount of meat consumed." Given how many people eat processed meat worldwide, the global impact on cancer rates is significant, he added. The WHO's cancer agency pointed to research suggesting that 34,000 cancer deaths per year worldwide are linked to diets heavy in processed meat. By comparison, 1 million deaths a year were linked to smoking, 600,000 a year to alcohol consumption and 200,000 a year to air pollution. Doctors have long advised against eating lots of red or processed meat. They have done this not just because of the cancer danger, but also because the saturated fat and high salt content of many meats can lead to heart disease. Susan Gapstur of the American Cancer Society said the WHO report is "an important step in helping individuals make healthier dietary choices." Her organization has recommended limiting red and processed meat intake since 2002. It suggests choosing fish or poultry or cooking red meat at low temperatures.
What A Nutrition Expert Thinks Independent experts stressed that the WHO findings should not be overblown. Food nutrition scientist Gunter Kuhnle said the new WHO findings are certainly very significant. However, he added, it is important to understand the scale of the risk. While eating a couple of slices of bologna per day increases the risk of cancer 18 percent, smoking three cigarettes a day increases it 500 percent. The new findings are very important from "a public health point of view, as there are more than 30,000 new cases" of colon cancer every year, Kuhnle said. However, he added, the findings should not be exaggerated and should not be used to alarm or frighten people.
Quiz 1
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The author develops the main idea of the article in each of the following ways EXCEPT: (A)
by including quotes from professionals about the results of the WHO report
(B)
by comparing processed meats to other dangerous practices that cause cancer
(C)
by describing the factors that make processed meat and red meat dangerous
(D)
by explaining how much processed meat is safe to eat per day
Which of the following statements BEST represents Gunter Kuhnle's approach toward the WHO report results in the article? (A)
The results of the WHO report are helpful, but all things in moderation are OK.
(B)
The results of the WHO report are important, but people should take the risk factor into consideration.
(C)
The results of the WHO report are alarming, and people should stay away from all processed and red meats.
(D)
The results of the WHO report are inconclusive, and cancer is not a disease caused by one type of food.
Based on the graphic, which of the following statements is TRUE? (A)
18 percent of all colorectal cancers are caused by consuming processed meat
(B)
34,000 people died last year from colorectal cancer
(C)
18 percent of the world population died of cancer from eating processed meat
(D)
34,000 people die each year of cancer caused by processed meats
The graphic mentions colorectal cancer because: (A)
it is a cancer that most people survive from eating processed meats
(B)
it is a cancer that is directly linked with eating processed meats
(C)
it a type of cancer linked to air pollution, smoking and drinking
(D)
it is the number one cause of cancer deaths worldwide
