Non-vegetarian products are consumed on a large scale all over the world. In fact, it is rich in important nutrients like proteins, vitamin B12, and iron. However, eating too much of non-vegetarian products sometimes becomes harmful to your health. In fact, in recent years, research has been conducted that eating more non-vegetarian products, especially red meat and processed meat, can increase the risk of cancer. Let us tell you about it in detail.
What does the research say?
The World Health Organization (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) released a major report on this in 2015. In this report, red meat, especially processed meat, was declared carcinogenic. Let us tell you that IARC released this report after reviewing more than 800 studies.
Red meat and processed meat
In fact, regular consumption of red meats like beef, pork, lamb, and mutton can increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Some research has also linked it to prostate cancer. At the same time, long-term consumption of processed meats — like bacon, sausages, salami, and hot dogs — increases the risk of colorectal cancer and stomach cancer. In fact, chemicals like nitrites and nitrates are used in processed meat, which can form carcinogenic nitrosamines in the body.
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Heme iron in red meat
The heme iron found in red meat plays a significant role in the development of cancer. This is because when red meat is digested, this iron chemically reacts with cells in the colon, forming cancer-causing compounds called nitrosamines. These compounds can damage DNA, which can lead to cancer.
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Use of nitrites and nitrates
In fact, chemicals like nitrites and nitrates are used to store processed meat. These chemicals serve to preserve and flavor the meat, but once they reach the body, they can turn into carcinogenic nitrosamines. Additionally, cooking meat at high temperatures during processing can also produce harmful chemicals like heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which increase the risk of cancer.
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