2 Zhao Happiness, Psychiatry Department, Wuxi Mental Health Center 2 For “meat eaters”, a new report published on October 26 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an affiliate of WHO, is undoubtedly a bolt from the blue. The report redefines the carcinogenicity of processed meat products and red meat. So, are processed meat products and red meat really that harmful? How to ensure a healthy diet? IARC staff told Xinjing News that it is incorrect to say that processed meat products are as carcinogenic as arsenic, and the report released by IARC takes Chinese factors into consideration. In the future, people can eat more vegetables and less meat, which is the way to be healthy. 1 What is the scientific basis for the IARC report? The evidence that sausage and bacon can cause cancer is overwhelming. It’s no joke that you can get cancer from eating meat. In an Oct. 26 report, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) officially rated the carcinogenicity of processed meat products and red meat. According to the IARC, processed meat products are classified as a Group I carcinogen, meaning that there is compelling evidence that the substance causes cancer. Carcinogens that fall into this same category include tobacco, alcoholic beverages, asbestos and others. Red meat is classified as a Group 2A carcinogen, meaning “high potential for human carcinogenicity. Carcinogens in this category also include the toxic pesticide DDT and the biochemical weapon mustard gas. In the new explanatory Q&A, IARC also specifically explains the definition of red meat and processed meat products. Red meat is the muscle of all mammals, including beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, horsemeat and goat. Processed meat products, on the other hand, are meats that have been salted, air-dried, fermented, smoked, or otherwise treated to enhance flavor or improve preservation. Most processed meat products contain pork or beef, but may also contain other red meats, poultry, ground animals, or meat by-products including blood. Examples of processed meat products are hot dogs (bacon sausage), ham, sausage, corned beef and dried meat slices or jerky, as well as canned meat and meat ingredients and sauces. The explanation given by the IARC for this study is that an international advisory committee recommended red meat and processed meat products as a priority issue for assessment by the IARC Monograph Group at a meeting in 2014. This recommendation was based on epidemiological studies that suggested that small elevations in the risk of several cancers may be associated with high consumption of red meat or processed meat products. To enhance the authority of the report, the IARC also disclosed the expert lineup for the report – the working group consisted of 22 experts from 10 countries. The working group reviewed a very large library of scientific literature, analyzing more than 800 different studies on human cancer. “In my opinion, this conclusion gives us an opportunity to identify one of the many important factors that cause colorectal cancer so that we can at least do something about it.” said Marianna Stern, a cancer epidemiologist at the University of Southern California. 2 Ham belongs to a class of carcinogens, how dangerous is it? Eating meat and smoking cause different cancer risks What cancers do red meat and processed meat products cause? The International Agency for Research on Cancer working group concluded that consumption of processed meat products can cause colorectal cancer and has also shown a correlation with stomach cancer, but the evidence is inconclusive. Red meat consumption has the potential to cause colorectal cancer, but the evidence is still “limited”. There is also evidence that red meat consumption is associated with pancreatic and prostate cancers. According to the latest estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Project, about 34,000 cancer deaths worldwide each year may be associated with high consumption of processed meat products, according to IARC. Although consumption of red meat is not as risky as processed meat products, the Global Burden of Disease project estimates that 50,000 cancer deaths worldwide each year could be associated with high consumption of red meat if the correlation mentioned in the report is proven to be causal. The IARC also gives the relationship between the percentage of processed meat products consumed and the risk of cancer. The risk of colorectal cancer is increased by 18% if 50 grams (1 tael) of processed meat products are consumed per day. If you consume 100 grams (2 taels) of red meat per day, the risk of colorectal cancer is increased by 17 percent. IARC says that smoking causes about 1 million cancer deaths worldwide each year, alcohol consumption causes 600,000 cancer deaths each year, and air pollution causes more than 200,000 cancer deaths each year. So is it fair to consider the consumption of processed meat products as having equal risk with smoking and alcohol consumption? Dana Loomis, deputy head of the IARC’s special issue group, told Xinjing News that the IARC’s classification of carcinogens, such as the same class of carcinogens, emphasizes the strength of scientific evidence on whether a substance is carcinogenic, rather than the specific carcinogenic risk of that substance. Therefore, although processed meat products are classified in the same category as alcohol and tobacco, it does not mean that they have the same carcinogenic risk. 3 The WHO report is not in line with the situation in China? The report takes into account the “Chinese context.” After it was suggested that processed meat products cause cancer, no one reacted more strongly than meat associations around the world. The Washington-based American Meat Institute said the report issued by the International Agency for Research on Cancer was a blatant challenge to common sense and countless previous reports. Both common sense and previous reports have determined that there is no link between meat and cancer. Scientific research has also proven that cancer is a complex disease that is not triggered by a single food. For his part, Ian Johnson, a British nutrition researcher, said, “There is little or no evidence in the UK that vegetarians have a lower risk of colon cancer than meat eaters.” Chinese meat industry practitioners responded that the report had sparked opposition from several world meat organizations, and that the WHO’s findings may have been made in accordance with the reality in Europe and the United States, but did not match the situation in China and Japan. Dana Loomis told Xinjing News that the public data from China was also part of the assessment. Although many of the studies analyzed by the IARC were conducted in Europe and North America, similar studies from China and Japan were also taken into account by the researchers and provided a wealth of informative data in response to the results. In fact, warnings that meat causes cancer have never been new; in 2007, the American Association for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund published a report stating that there is a “puzzling” link between animal protein and many types of cancer. In 2009, a survey funded by the National Institutes of Health found that people who consumed red meat and processed meat products had a higher risk of dying from cancer, heart disease and other illnesses than those who did not. A 2011 analysis funded by the World Cancer Research Fund also found an association between red meat and processed meat products and colorectal cancer, and in 2013, a joint European study found a direct relationship between meat and increased mortality from cancer and heart disease. 4 Americans love meat, Chinese eat more vegetarians? Chinese eat more meat in Asia The United States is the world’s most meat-loving country, consuming 235 pounds (106.6 kilograms) of meat per capita each year, the equivalent of 470 Big Macs per person per year. Although consumption is not as much as the United States, but China is also a large country of meat consumption. Data show that in 2012, China’s per capita meat consumption of 62.7 kg, compared with 2000, an increase of 30.1%, an average annual growth rate of 2.2%, China has become the world’s fastest-growing meat consumption countries; China’s total meat consumption reached 84.83 million tons, accounting for 27.8% of the total global meat consumption. Dana Loomis said the data shows that China’s consumption of meat is increasing year by year, and also, among meat-eating groups, Chinese per capita meat consumption is higher than some other Asian countries. But Dana Loomis pointed out that there are no country-specific reports on meat consumption and cancer risk, and there are no findings that show how much meat consumption leads to different cancer risks in different countries. So, how exactly do you eat to be healthy? Dr. Kai Zhong, an associate researcher at the National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment and a food safety doctor, previously said that the average urban resident in China currently eats about 1 to 2 taels of pork, beef and lamb per day, compared to 4 taels in the United States. In addition, priority should be given to eating fresh meat, and high-temperature frying and grilling can produce more carcinogens in moderation. IARC also said on its website that some other dietary guidelines recommend limiting the consumption of red meat or processed meat products, but the main focus of these guidelines is to reduce the intake of fat and sodium. Dana Loomis says many health organizations around the world already advise people to eat less meat and more vegetables to reduce the risk of many diseases, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. She suggests that people who are really concerned about the latest cancer ratings might consider eating less processed meat products. This edition was written by Yan Yingzhuan of Xinjing News