Many people love the Atkins Diet because they can eat bacon, steaks and hamburgers without guilt. But I think they should be worried about cancer.
"Eating substantial amounts of red meat [beef, pork, veal] may increase the risk of colorectal, pancreatic, breast, prostate and renal cancer," the National Cancer Institute recently declared. The amount of red meat found to incite cancer may be extremely small: only half an ounce a day--just a big bite--according to one study. Eating red meat, especially fried or grilled, can double your odds of cancer.
Here's the latest science:
- People who ate the most red meat (average 3 ounces daily), especially well-done or fried, had twice the risk of colon cancer compared with those who ate less than half an ounce daily, says a new study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
- Breast cancer risk doubled in postmenopausal women who ate 3 ounces or more of red meat a day compared with women who consumed 1 ounce or less daily, says a new study at the Portland (Ore.) VA Medical Center.
- Vanderbilt University investigators found that women who ate the most deep-fried, well-done meat had nearly twice the odds of developing breast cancer as those who ate the least.
- The odds of pancreatic cancer doubled in people who ate the most grilled or barbecued red meat (between 3 and 21 ounces a week) compared with non-red meat eaters, finds a recent University of Minnesota study. Eating broiled red meat did not increase the risk.
7 ways to sidestep cancer and pack in protein
- Eat fish or poultry, not red meat. Fish is safest, tests show, and may discourage breast cancer. Women who ate fish three or more times weekly had a 30% lower breast cancer risk than women who ate fish once a week, says the VA study. In another study, eating chicken baked, broiled or barbecued did not raise colon cancer risk. Pan-frying chicken boosted odds 50%.
- Cook meat slowly with lower heat. This means stew, bake or microwave. At high heats, proteins in meat (and to a lesser extent in poultry and fish) form heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which are potent carcinogens. Reduced heat creates fewer HCAs. And broiling produces fewer carcinogens than grilling.
- Go for rare or medium rare. The longer meat is cooked at high temperatures, the more carcinogens it has. Consistently eating hamburger, beef steak and bacon very well done, instead of rare or medium, boosted women's breast cancer risk nearly five times in a University of Minnesota study.
- Eat turkey or soy burgers, not hamburgers. Ground beef must be cooked well done to kill infectious agents, such as e-coli. If you mix antioxidants, such as textured soy protein, mashed blueberries or cherries, tea, garlic or onions, into beef burgers before cooking, you can cut formation of carcinogens by 60% to 90%.
- First microwave, then grill. Pre-cooking in the microwave reduces carcinogens produced by grilling.
Use watery sauces, such as teriyaki. Research shows thick tomato barbecue sauce may foster carcinogens. - Avoid nitrite-cured meats. Most cured cold cuts, hot dogs, bacon and ham also contain nitrites that can spur formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines. The late Dr. Robert Atkins himself suggested buying nitrite-free bacon at health-food stores
Copyright 2004 Jean Carper. Printed first in USA Weekend. All rights reserved.
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