When to Eat Meat
Millions of people are diagnosed with cancer every year and more shocking, 69 people die every hour from cancer related illnesses in the United States ("Basic Cancer Survival Statistics" par. 4). According to Mayo clinic ("How plant-based food helps fight cancer" par. 1), cancer is the second-leading cause of death and with a heathier diet that could change to the third-leading cause of death in the US. Many studies have been conducted to prove what prevents cancer, but is it because what we eat and how much we put into our mouths, and is it controllable? When eating only a plant-based diet and excluding meat-based foods will that prevent or kill cancer cells? Or does it not matter if you eat just a plant-based or meat-based diet? This research paper is intended for anyone who has ever questioned if their eating habits, such as maintaining a meat-based diet. have an important role in cancer. What steps we should take to lower the risk of ones chances to lower the chances of cancer. Every day in the news, internet blogs and newspapers you read that meat causes cancer, for many different reasons. Can cancer be suppressed by not eating meat? The data from research supports plant-based diets and not meat-based diets, but why and what can be done. My views on food are neutral and I have no biases one way or another towards food and just do not know if only eating a plant-based diet will prevent cancer. My belief is meat-based diets do not cause cancer and it is more of a lifestyle that causes cancer.
Before we can discuss how meat-based diets are good for people and different things are not taken into effect when meat-based diets are linked to cancer. Understanding how cancer behaves and what causes cancer. What is cancer? It is the growth of the body's cells, which are uncontrollable and spread to other parts of the body. Food causes a major role in cancer because how the body breaks it down into different vitamins and chemical compounds. The chemical compounds HAAs or some call them HCAs (heterocyclic aromatic amines), and PAAs or PACs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are both known cancer causing agents. Both chemical compounds are from open flames and the smoke from incomplete burning of organic substances such as wood, coal, oil, and gas are what?. Processed meats have a chemical called nitrates and processed meats have a very high level of nitrates. Nitrates are bad for the body because they turn into carconigincs. When cooking meat on open flame, it is very important to do two things; The first being about marinating the meat and the second thing is the heat and temperature at which the meat is cooked at. What is the second thing?
The temperature meat is cooked at plays a vital role on the breakdown of amino acids in the meats. Meat can be cooked several way, for example they can be baked, grilled, cooked on a stove top, microwaved and fried. Meat should not be cooked at high temperatures on open flames to avoid HAAs from being produced from the burnt meat or the smoke from the open flame. When a person cooks food on an open flame the meat should be turned over often to avoid charring or blackening of the meat, which causes HAAs. When the meat has finished cooking it is important to not use the fat or drippings from the meat to make gravy. The fat droppings that are made into gravy have PAAs that are known to be cancer causing. Before cooking meat on the grill, in order to avoid exposure to the open flames, one can use the microwave to heat the meat up to increase the temperature and then move the food to the grill. Meat cooked above 300 degrees Fahrenheit has a greater risk for the development of HAAs and PAAs and should be cooked low and slow, which means longer cook time with less heat. Women's Health Study to evaluate the potential role of heterocyclic amines and intake of well-done meat in the risk for human breast cancer. A Women's Health study did a study to see if there is a relationship between human breast cancer and well-done cooked meat. They concluded that the risk of well-done meat vs medium and rare cooked meat had a 4.62 times greater chance of developing breast cancer. Scientists are also studying if marinating meat has a more positive effect, then lowering the temperature of meat when being cooked. There is a way to avoid the meat from burning and changing the meats amino acids with a marinade.
Cooking on the grill adding a marinate high in antioxidants decreases or eliminates the HCAs on meat. HCAs or Heterocyclic amines are a carcinogenic compound. High antioxidant marinates contain natural spices and herbs such as basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, and thyme. The herbs and spices are rich in three compounds carnosic acid, carmosol and rosmarinic acid. These three compounds are potent antioxidants. The study found that using rosemary and thyme reduced the level of HCAs by 87 percent. ("Brush On the Marinade, Hold Off The Cancerous Compounds" par. 1-5). "Cooking meats with natural antioxidants decreases or eliminates HCAs on meat" ("Brush on the Marinade, Hold off the cancerous compounds" par 6). Some great antioxidants that are marinades contain herbs and spices. Some are mint, basil, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, and thyme. The study found that using rosemary and thyme reduced the level of HCAs by 87 percent. Most marinades you buy on store shelves contain at least one of these spices and herbs in them. Marinating meat prior to cooking has a greater positive impact on meat in another way. When the meat is being cooked on open flame instead of the meat being burnt on the open flame.
Protein is an important part of a balanced diet and is necessary to sustain life. In the body nine different proteins can be found and one of those proteins is called IGF-I. IGF-I is known as that insulin-like growth factor and has positive effects on every cell of the human body. The role it plays is essential for growth and development of muscle and brain cells, and in the process of healing. Cancer as mentioned before are human cells that are mutation of regular cells and IGF-I cannot differentiate between your normal cells and cancer cells. When consuming high protein diets such as a meat-based diets, more IGF-I is produced from the rich protein and is linked to a higher risk of cancer. The meat-based diet by itself is not responsible for the cancer growth, but a contributing factor is the IGF-I from the meat. Insulin-like-growth factor at low levels are found to have less chance of cancer risk. One might ask, then why do people eat meat and why is IGF-I so important? As mentioned above IGF-I is important to your cells and when a person works out or has any physically demanding task, trauma is done to the muscle and tissues and healing needs to be done. When the consumption of meat is ingested at the right time, which is before and after a physical demanding task IGF-I is needed to repair and heal the cells. Cancer cells are not being fed IGF-I because the other cells are consuming the IGF-I that is needed for healing and growth. The days a person is not doing any physical demanding tasks or working out and living a sedentary lifestyle, it is recommended that a person cut their intake of meat by 20 percent. However, over the age of 65, a person needs more calories from protein, and they need to increase their intake of meat by 20 percent. Meat is a great way to increase your IGF-I in the body but is not for everyone and when research is done this can be misleading when it is said meat-based diets cause cancer. The research should talk about the portion size and lifestyle needed to support the intake of meat-based diets.
The lifestyle of most people, when research is done, is not taken in account and the result is misleading results. Research into cancer and the relationship between your diets focuses on meat-based diets and plant-based diets. Plant-based diets or vegetarians or vegans only eat fruits and vegetables. Whereas people who eat meat-based diets eat meat and fruits and vegetables. Most vegans and vegetarians are health-conscious people and have a healthy lifestyle. They stay active, workout, and avoid trans fats and processed foods due to the ingredients in them. Meat-based diets, when being researched do not take in effect the lifestyle choices and the ones that do show no different in mortality and cancer rates. The research that is done showing that meat-based diets do not account for this. Two different studies show how different the data is between the lifestyle of people being studied. The first research done by the American Cancer people show meat-based diets as bad and have no value in ones health and cause cancer and do not take in effect the lifestyle of the people being studied in the group. The Europe Prospective Investigation or EPIC did a large study within 10 European countries with the mortality and cancer risk. They found that a healthy lifestyle played an important role in avoiding cancer and death. Their study concluded there was no evidence to support the American Cancer Society in the link between red meat-based diets and cancer. However, processed meats did have a greater risk to exposure to carcinogens and higher cancer rates. By eating fish, chicken and red meat (especially grass-fed meats) will help supply bones and muscles with the needed protein and essential nutrients. Proteins from animals are part of a healthy lifestyle. ("Red meat does NOT cause cancer" Par. 3)
The quality of a meat-based diet and how the meat was grown plays an important role in meat-based diets. The best kind of meat is known as organic meat. Organic meat is defined by the USDA or the United States Department of Agriculture as the livestock must be given year-round access to outdoors, except in bad weather. No antibiotics should be used unless the animal has an illness. Adding of growth hormones, using animal byproducts, urea, and arsenic compounds is prohibited in the animal feed. Their diets must also have 30 percent or more from organic pasture and this helps support the animal's health. Livestock that is organic has less saturated fat and this is important because with less fat the less PAAs or PACs and the link to cancer when cooking meat. When animals are given antibiotics and other hormones such as rBGH or recombinant bovine growth hormone drugs they have an increased level of IGF-I in the animal which transfers to people. Countries such as European Union, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Canada has blocked all rBGH for human and animal concerns. One last factor that is better in organic meat is the no use of pesticides used. When the animal eats the grass or grain the pesticides that were used are taken in by the animal and stored in their fat. When we then eat the animal, we get some of those pesticides into us, which is not safe and could lead to a greater risk of getting cancer. The total amount of meat should also be taken into effect when chosen a meat-based diet to be safe.
When consuming any types of food, it is important to remember portion control and to eat a healthy balanced meal. The portion size of the meat is recommended to be 12 to 18 ounces a week and that translates to 3 ounces a day or the size of a deck of cards portion of meat a day. Just by eating a healthy diet and lifestyle cancer cases could be prevented by 40% per the American Institute for Cancer Research. To prevent cancer a healthy and balance diet is needed, and the graph shows these steps to achieve a balanced diet. The first be at a healthy weight, second be physically active, third eat rich vegetables, fruits and beans. Fourth, limit consumption of fast foods and processed foods high in fat, sugars and starches. Fifth, limit consumption of red and processed meat to 3 ounces a day. Lastly limit sugars drinks, alcohol and do no use supplements for cancer prevention. ("Limit red and processed meat" chart/graph)
The way the meat is cooked and processed is a very important role to understanding how the body process the food. Processed meats such as hot dogs, sausage, sandwich meat, ham, pastrami and many other kinds of meats that are cured, preserved, salted and chemicals added to preserve the meats flavor and texture. Processed meats are often included in studies that relate to meat-based diets. The WHO, which stands for the World Health Organization, made a statement saying processed meats cause cancer. People who eat 50 grams of processed meats a day or equivalent to 2 strips of bacon a day, increases a person's chance of getting colorectal cancer by 18 percent. The WHO have a ranking system from 1-4 on the chances that foods can cause cancer and one being the greatest chance and processed meats are number one in that group. Group one is carcinogens and in the same group is tobacco, asbestos, alcohol and arsenic. The same ranking system red meat is group 2 which means it is probably carcinogenic to humans. When researched however, they are grouped together making it sound like meat in general is bad for people. Processed meats do cause cancer and should be avoided but red meat found in meat-based diet should not. Processed meat besides what is added and how it is cured is also the temperature it is cooked at causing carcinogens.'
Gathering all the information and analyzing all the data showing how meat-based diets can cause cancer, the data also shows how we can take steps to reduce our chances of cancer. Taking small steps in preparing meat for one's meat-based diet could and will prevent certain cancers. Possible making the second leading cause of death to the third leading cause of death. Meat-based diets are safe and effect and lead to a balance diet. The data from this research project has shown that lifestyle, how the meat is prepared and processed play an important role on reducing the cancer risk with meat-based diets. When consuming meat it is important to live a healthy lifestyle working out, staying active, and eating fruits and vegetables along with meat. Preparing meat plays a vital role in the release of carcinogens into the body. Taking the proper steps in cooking meat at lower temperatures, warming the meat prior to pan frying or grilling, flip the meat more often reduces the cancer-causing products released from the meat. Using antioxidants to cover the meat when cooking can reduce the chance of releasing the cancer-causing carcinogens and make the meat taste better in the process. Meat-based diets are safe to consume as long as steps are taken to prevent the release of carcinogens. Another factory to remember is the portion size of every meal. Eating more meat then is require is not good for a person's health and everything in moderation should be remembered. The overall objective of this research paper is to show how what cancer is, how it effects the body, what can be done to prevent cancer, and show the meat-based diet person that eating meat is safe and good for a person to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
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