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Myth: Meat, Sat. Fat Have Increased w/ Heart Disease, Cancer
- From Weston A Price Foundation
By Weston A. Price Foundation - for Wise Traditions
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Don't ignore abundance of evidence linking meat/dairy and cancer
Caveats: 1. I'm vegan primarily for ethical reasons - compassion and respect for animals, a desire to refrain from exploitating others as much possibile - not health reasons. That I can be healthy and vegan is a nice benefit. 2. I don't think you have to be vegan to be healthy. My dad is a meat-eating marathon runner (although he does limit his meat intake).
An extraordinary number of well-designed epidemiological and clinical studies, from around the world, from all demographics, published in mainstream peer-reviwed medical journals over the past several decades show linkages between meat consumption and cancer. It really doesn't make sense, from a health perspective, to ignore this.
The China Study ( http://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Implications/dp/1932100660/ref =pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223482542&sr=8-1), to take one example, was an extremely thorough study on a homogeneous population. It showed clear correlations between animal protein intake and cancer rates.
When you compare populations, the overwhelming pattern is higher animal protein intake = higher cancer rates. For your own good, you don't want to dismiss these findings. Breast cancer rates among people who get all or nearly all of their protein from plant sources are a fraction of the breast cancer rates in the U.S. and England, where meat and dairy are prevalent. We're always talking about a cure for breast cancer - which is fine - but through diet and exercise you may be able to reduce your risk by three-quarters.
And yes, genetics have been ruled out. The BRCA genes seem to be much less of a determinant for breast cancer than lifestyle factors are.
This doesn't mean that if you eat one hot dog, you die. But certainly overconsumption of meat does seem to have many risks. We ignored the risks of cigarettes for years, because we didn't want to give up our habit. Let's not do the same with meat and dairy.
Some meats are particularly harmful. A recent peer-reviewed study showed that even one ounce of processed meat (e.g., bacon, sausage, ham) per day can significantly raise the risk of pancreatic cancer. One ounce is approximately on sausage or slice of ham. Try veggie bacon, sausage, and ham. They're not health foods by a long shot, but they're far less risky (and less cruel) than the animal-based alternatives, and they're not bad. I've fed them to many a meat-eater with no complaints.
- garyl
October 8, 2008 9:29AM
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