WIKIMEDIA, RAYSONHOYou’ve seen the headlines. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a division of the World Health Organization (WHO), consumption of red meat is probably carcinogenic to humans and processed meat is now classified as a known carcinogen. Specifically, consumption of these meats is most closely associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, the IARC noted in a press release.
“The link to cancer is supported by increasingly compelling research,” Marion Nestle of New York University told The Wall Street Journal. “There seem to be many reasons to eat less beef, climate change among them, but cancer is a more personal worry.”
In its release, the IARC explained that for processed meats “there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans.” The case is less clear with red meats, it added. The group also noted that cooking methods and temperatures could affect the potentially carcinogenicity of these meats. The agency published a taste of its analysis online yesterday (October 26) in The Lancet Oncology.
As The Atlantic pointed out, “the new designation doesn’t mean bacon is as deadly as smoking. Cancers from cigarettes and alcohol . ...
