Cancer Link

Yesterday I saw a news report which highlighted a new report linking meat eating and cancer. Today I have been perusing the news sites and have found some interesting points which I'd like to share.

On the sky news website if you type 'red meat' in the search box, the first thing that comes up today is

1. Red Meat Linked To Breast Cancer

Eating small amounts of red meat every day can increase a womans risk of breast cancer, according to a study.

Number five..

5. Sausages And Burgers Could Cause Cancer

A food watchdog has called a meeting with manufacturers because an additive used in some sausages and burgers is feared to cause cancer.

Number seven..

7. Cancer Scare For Bacon Butty Lovers

Bacon butty lovers are being warned that eating five of their favourite snacks each week could cause cancer. The bacon research followed the diets of 135,000 adults.

Typing in cancer brings this up first..

1. Third Of Cancers Are Caused By Lifestyle

Up to a third of cancers could be caused by the victims lifestyle, according to researchers. (My note - this study highlights red meat, alcohol and smoking)

On to Google. Typing in 'cancer' brings this up first...


Poor diet ratchets up cancer risk
Excess fat can cause up to a third of all cases, study says, putting lifestyle choices on par with quitting smoking

MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

November 1, 2007 at 4:15 AM EDT

The most comprehensive study ever undertaken on the association between cancer and obesity concludes that excess body fat triggers many types of the disease, as does the consumption of even moderate amounts of alcohol, red meats and processed meats.


ABC NEWS ONLINE:
A Harvard Medical School study has discovered a link between red meat consumption and breast cancer.

The researchers found that women who consumed more than one serving of red meat per day almost doubled their risk of developing some types of breast cancer, compared to those who ate fewer than three servings a week.

The epidemiological study assessed the diets of more than 90,000 pre-menopausal women in their 20s, 30s and 40s over 12 years.

The findings come after years of advertising promoting the health benefits of red meat and telling Australian women, in particular, to eat more iron-rich lamb and beef.


It seems that the meat industry can no longer promote red meat as being good for you. I wonder how long this will take to filter down into the general population. Not that long methinks. My parents, once daily meat eaters are aware that too much meat is bad for them. Now vegetarian pasta replaces mince hot pots. However, they still cling to processed ham on sandwiches and 'good' cuts of beef etc. So why instead of suggesting people 'limit' their meat consumption, don't the governments around the world suggest cutting out the meat? Surely advocating a vegetarian lifestyle would cause less heath problems, mainly diabetes, obesity and certain cancers? A vegetarian diet has been proven to improve health dramatically, for more information, please visit www.veganhealth.org where you can see the results of long term studies conducted on vegetarians and vegans.

Doctors

Yesterday my 2 year old girl, Heidi, had her MMR vaccination. We combined the visit with Miller's 6 month check up. Both children are doing really well. Miller is 2 months ahead of the charts in terms of what he is doing. Yesterday he actually started crawling for the first time. He had been spinning and shuffling for a while but now in 2 days he can cover a whole room in the time it takes to put the kettle on. Yesterday his adventures covered trying to eat my Yukka plant, eating Heidi's jigsaws and seeing if he could upend a chair! So, the fun begins! Also, he is wanting to stand (assisted) all the time and is eating 3 solid meals a day along with breastfeeding every 4 hours. Heidi is learning 2 languages simultaneously and loves puzzles designed for 3-4 year olds.

So, you would think all was well. Only I went and opened my mouth about our veganism. Not the best idea I'd ever had. I realized soon after I mentioned it that I was speaking to a health visitor and a doctor and not a nutritionalist and I do value my health centre and their expertise but it is clear that there is limited or non existent knowledge of the health benefits of a vegetarian or vegan diet.

The response was a very surprised 'you don't eat meat or dairy?' ....'I respect vegetarians but children shouldn't be vegetarian til at least 4 years of age'. I explained my choice was made and I was hoping for some clarification of if I was eating enough fat whilst nursing my baby etc. Let's just say I got no answers! If you want to know all the facts about the health benefits, please visit www.vegansociety.com where you can find info & factsheets. All I know is mine and my children's chances of getting cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol and osteoperosis (yes the thing you think you need to drink milk to avoid) to mention just a few, are lower than a meat and dairy eaters chances.

Please don't be discouraged by those who have not done their homework. The little you know is probably more than many know.

I'll finish by saying that yesterday, Heidi ate a well balanced diet consisting of fortified porridge (non-dairy) with soya milk, toast with peanut butter, some walnuts, hazlenuts and almonds with dried fruit pieces, a fruit soy yogurt, raisin bread, home-made vegetable soup, wholemeal bread and a banana. If that's not a good thing then I don't know what is... a mcdonalds? turkey twizzlers? Cheese strings?...... You get the point.