Red meat, bad?
LolaDeeDaisy23
Posts: 383 Member
My husband has been on me about eating LCHF and its sustainability. He said it can't be healthy to eat so much red meat and there are studies that say it causes cancer and other illnesses? Thoughts?
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Counter with your own studies. There are plenty out there to show LCHF works. I am sure some of the data gurus here will have some links for you.1
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I think those claims are overblown, and part of it comes down to how that meat is prepared and cooked. Processed meats with nitrates will bring your risk of (colon?) cancer up to 6% from 5%.
The Masai and Inuit had better health when almost carnivores than they have today... Maybe look up Steffanson (sp?) who ate carnivore after living with the inuit over a 100 years ago. It improved his health.0 -
I've read there is no hard evidence that unprocessed red meat causes cancer. But "there are studies that show" people who eat processed red meat (bacon, ground beef, salami) are at a 20% increased risk for cancer, etc.
There are other studies that say this is all correlation and not necessarily causation.
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Oh geez! Your husband has read some flashy headlines that keep going around.
He's simply wrong.1 -
LolaDeeDaisy23 wrote: »I've read there is no hard evidence that unprocessed red meat causes cancer. But "there are studies that show" people who eat processed red meat (bacon, ground beef, salami) are at a 20% increased risk for cancer, etc.
There are other studies that say this is all correlation and not necessarily causation.
Exactly! You are at 5% risk of cancer before eating processed meats. 20% increased risk, of that initial 5% risk, is just 1%. 1% + 5% = 6%, and not 25% as some people fear.
%5 vs. 6% isn't a big deal in my mind. I'd risk bacon for that.
Editted because I seem to make no sense today.1 -
As a strict carnivore with a diet that is 90%+ red meat, you can believe that I've looked into these studies. I've found them to be lacking any substance, and I love how they always lump red meat with processed meats. That right there seems like a pretty huge confounder. Also, the people in these studies (which are usually dietary recall studies--huge issue right there) are eating the Standard American Diet. They aren't eating low carb. Much like how high-carb diets encourage negative health issues like weight gain, we can't be sure that it isn't a combination of processed meats AND high-carbs/insulin that drives the very slight increase in disease risk.
Actually, I personally suspect there's a stronger link to fiber and colon cancer than there is to red meat. But, that's a tale for another time.
In short, there's really nothing to worry about. Red meat is exceptionally good for your health. It's not going to kill you. If you ask me, it should be the backbone of any healthy diet.9 -
I believe the link is really with IGF Wichita is linked to cancer. Problem with a study in was shown is that all it showed was that high amounts of red meats combined with carbs causes IGF to rise more than just carbs with low red meat.
Not very conclusive for me.
It doesn't take that much red meat to get to the 75 to 80 g of protein.
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Something is going to kill me. That's the only thing I "know" to be true. I no longer have any faith in what "they" say. Perhaps you've read the recent articles in the New Yorker regarding the con job that the sugar industry has perpetrated on our society. Would I be surprised if they are also behind the studies that seem to indicate red meat is bad for you...no, I would not. By changing my WOE to LCHF I've finally managed to get hold of my life long weight problem and lost over 90 lbs. I think the positive impact from that loss will greatly outweigh (pardon the pun) any possible drawbacks from an increase in my meat consumption.7
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I love how they always lump red meat with processed meats.
This alone is why I throw most of those out the window.
Unprocessed, or traditionally processed meats (fermented ones, basically), have been part of the backbone of our diet for eons. The newer processed ones, or ones processed using newer methods/stuff, are more questionable (not necessarily bad, but less tested by time than the traditional stuff). If a study doesn't make a distinction between an Oscar Meyer hot dog and a sirloin steak straight from the animal, then it's not worth a hill of beans, in my opinion.
The same goes for the "saturated fat is bad for you" crap, which also nearly always lumps artificial trans fats in with natural saturated fats. Trans fats are the problem, there, not saturated fats.processed red meat (bacon, ground beef, salami)
Ground beef isn't processed any more than cut beef is. It's simply...well...ground. You can literally take a steak and grind it up yourself if you want.
/nitpickingLolaDeeDaisy23 wrote: »My husband has been on me about eating LCHF and its sustainability. He said it can't be healthy to eat so much red meat and there are studies that say it causes cancer and other illnesses? Thoughts?
I say he needs to stay away from the vegan and USDA propaganda. I would also introduce him to one Dr. Salisbury and his patients, whom he cured of a number of disorders with an all-meat diet, over 100 years ago.
If you're concerned about the environmental sustainability -- which is a valid concern -- then simply eat local. Go to farmers markets, check out eatwild.com, etc. You can take it a step further and eat animals native to your area. For example, I live in the midwest, so bison and venison are often staple meats in my diet (and bison is actually my preferred meat).
Learn how to practice nose-to-tail consumption. Nearly every part of nearly any animal is consumable in some way. We can technically even consume animal bones, though it's more efficient for our bodies to do so in the form of broth. Slabs of fat (such as from pigs) can be rendered and used for cooking or cosmetics (tallow and lard are fantastic for the skin).11 -
I clicked awesome, but @Dragonwolf deserves a post saying how awesome that answer was. Love it!
I personally have switched to all local, organic, grass-fed meats and have started choosing brands that practice nose-to-tail consumption. I feel making those types of choices each day is way more powerful than casting my vote once every 4 years. #justsaying3 -
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I really agree with Dragonwolf. I live in Colorado, so bison, elk, and venison are readily available. I do however love wild caught Alaskan fish. I will buy grass fed steaks from time to time but usually it is bison.
Life is short, eat what makes you happy.1 -
Processed meats like ground beef, ground chicken, or bacon are the ones being debated IIRC. You can always go to a local butcher or farmer to get something fresh that hasn't been processed with any chemicals, or get a hunting license and hunt your own animals if you're really concerned about it. If none of that works you can do low carb vegetarian or low carb vegan diets.0
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1000 internet points for @Dragonwolf s post.2
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Found a link that discusses the invalidity in the cancer vs red meat debate for those who are interested in reading!
https://chriskresser.com/red-meat-cancer-again-will-it-ever-stop/2 -
Does anyone know what is it about red meat that "they" say supposedly causes cancer? Corn fed vs grass fed? Isn't bison a red meat? Are bison fed corn to fatten up? Just speculating here, when we can afford it we eat corn fed rib eyes of the Angus.
Edited to add after reading the article. Ah, TMAO produced by gut bacteria. I think "they" are wrong here.0 -
I'm much more of a meat eater than I used to be. Locally we can get grass-fed, antibiotic and hormone-free beef, bison, pork and even water buffalo, so we do eat red meat once a week or so. Our local grovery store also sells antibiotic and hormone-free bacon, which is nice.0
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Link for anti meat propoganda:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jun/02/un-report-meat-free-diet0
