Will Eating Red Meat Cause Colorectal Cancer?

NUTRITION QUESTION AND EVIDENCE ASSIGNMENT
1 Nutrition question: Will eating red meat every day cause cancer, i.e., colorectal cancer?
2 Research question: Does high consumption of red meat increase the risk of developing cancer among US residents?
3 Pico terms:
Population: US residents
Intervention: Red meat consumption in high amounts
Control/comparison: Low or zero consumption of red meat
Outcome/dependent variable: Risk of developing cancer, i.e., bowel/colorectal cancer
4 Cochrane Database for Systematic Reviews
Search terms were “red meat” and “cancer.” Few reviews came up, and the title and summary of one article are as follows:
Diet and Genetic Damage
Colorectal cancer is a common type of cancer and the second most killer after lung cancer. Given its increased frequency of occurrence, the prevention of colorectal cancer has become a significant issue in the past few decades. Key pieces of evidence attribute the high prevalence rate of colorectal cancer to lifestyle and dietary factors with the consumption of red meat considered attracting considerable attention in experimental, clinical, and epidemiological studies. Of particular interest are the heterocyclic amines found in cooked meat. Heterocyclic amines develop through pyrolysis of both creatine and amino acids when red meat is cooked in high temperatures, primarily through pan-frying. The higher the temperature, the higher the level of Heterocyclic amines. Several research studies, including research by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), report that individuals with long-term exposure to Heterocyclic amines are thrice more likely to develop colorectal cancers and colorectal adenomas. However, there has not been conclusive research proving that high-level Heterocyclic amines cause colorectal cancer risk. As such, a feeding study that includes a thorough examination of bowel tissues for any evidence of transient DNA damage detected in comet assay following a continuous consumption of red meat potentially helps uncover if there is a connection between Heterocyclic amines and cancer. In addition, Comet assay offers the opportunity to monitor the effect of diet on colon epithelial cells and the effect of fried red meat on DNA damage in the lymphocytes.
5 Abstract For Narrative Review Article
Title: Dissecting the mechanisms and molecules underlying the potential carcinogenicity of red and processed meat in colorectal cancer (CRC): An overview on the current state of knowledge
Authors: Marcos Cascella, Sabrina Bimonte, Antonio Barbieri, Vitale Del Vecchio, Domenico Caliendo, Vincenzo Schieavone, Roberta Fusco, Viscenza Granata, Claudio Arra, and Arturo Cuomo.
Abstract: Red meat is among the few types of food that offer a rich supply of nutrients, including proteins, vitamins, and minerals. On the opposite hand, excessive red meat...