Red meat increased risk of colon cancer

[bushman505]

Sorry about that.

It was like 25 years ago so no worries, just pointing out that from my memory it was a long drawn out slow and painful way to go. Towards the end he had a colostomy bag because his nose could no longer be used for shitting. It was terrible, had to empty it, you could smell all the chemicals from the chemo therapy mixed with shit....smell of death.

Turned a 6’5 240lb lumberjack into a shriveled up little guy and he was only 60 years old.

 

[tonni]

It was like 25 years ago so no worries, just pointing out that from my memory it was a long drawn out slow and painful way to go. Towards the end he had a colostomy bag because his nose could no longer be used for shitting. It was terrible, had to empty it, you could smell all the chemicals from the chemo therapy mixed with shit....smell of death.

Turned a 6’5 240lb lumberjack into a shriveled up little guy and he was only 60 years old.

That's awful.
My mom's grandfather died from colon cancer too, if I recall correctly. Farmer, was a prisoner in Breendonk (concentration camp in Belgium), got tortured and then had to die like that, terrible.

 

[Joe265]

That might have been a copy/paste from the website linking the study.
Either way, the studies conclusion is pretty clear. What do you disagree with, other than my shit lazy title?
Maybe adding the word increased risk would better present it?

The point is that everything can be associated. THAT was the actual conclusion, but it’s not saying a damn thing. It’s not proving a damn thing. So when “associated” gets confused for “proves” there’s obviously a big fucking problem. Shady journals and studies love to gloss over these distinctions to please their funding source.

 

[Possum Jenkins]

On that last point, that's true, but I think it's good intellectual exercise to work through the arguments anyway (even knowing that there's little chance that getting it right will change anyone's mind). Also, as a matter of curiosity, I like to see why people think what they do, even if they're wrong.

In addition, I think it's also possible to kinda chip away at people's beliefs little by little. No, they don't change their minds on the spot when presented with evidence, but they often, slowly change their stances.

Anecdotally at least, that's what's happened with a lot of people I've come across. They initially have the typical, uninformed attitude on, for example, welfare (poor people abusing it is a big problem) or race relations (all sides are equally at fault).

When presented with facts and arguments suggesting otherwise, at first they're reluctant and even hostile. But after a while, they start shifting. The key is patience and to not be too forceful.

 

[Deleted member 159002]

I have severely cut back my beef consumption because I had borderline high creatinine. I don't miss it.

 

[Dirt Road Soldier]

As someone that practically lives off bacon, beef stew, and steak....

Colon cancer would be a fair price to pay.

 

[Possum Jenkins]

My grandpa died of colon cancer. Never struck me as the way I want to die.

Exactly. The problem with the "Well, you gotta die of something" argument is that cancer doesn't strike one day and then you're dead by the weekend.

It's often long and painful. And in the end, most people cling on to life so they get treatment which is expensive. And this doesn't just affect you but your loved ones as well. Guess who has to take time off from work or school to drive your ass to get your treatment or your 5th surgery?

It's emotionally and economically draining. I'd rather limit the pleasure that red meat and alcohol (limit, not give up completely) provide now in exchange for a more dignified and better older age.

 

[bobgeese]

Nobody gives a fuck.

 

[HomeCheese]

Yeah I try to not eat too much red meat partially because of this but still like a ribeye now and then. For this reason and several other health reasons I pretty much gave up bacon and other cured meats years ago.

We have a significant history of colon cancer in my family and I have had four colonoscopies, my doctors can attest that I am a perfect asshole. No findings.

 

[Seano]

Every 5 years, someone is going to tell you something you like is bad for you and then 5 years later tell you it wasn't really as bad as they thought. Fuck worrying about this shit.

 

[JudoThrowFiasco]

but it’s so hard to cut out red meat from my diet seeing as it is a staple of a North American diet.

Its really not a staple in the traditional sense of that red meat is easy to get while everything is not. North America doesnt really have a staple because you can go to any grocery store and find a myriad of options that are not red meat, very easily.

You just love red meat.

 

[bushman505]

That's awful.
My mom's grandfather died from colon cancer too, if I recall correctly. Farmer, was a prisoner in Breendonk (concentration camp in Belgium), got tortured and then had to die like that, terrible.

I bet he was a tough SOB.

 

[tonni]

Exactly. The problem with the "Well, you gotta die of something" argument is that cancer doesn't strike one day and then you're dead by the weekend.

It's often long and painful. And in the end, most people cling on to life so they get treatment which is expensive. And this doesn't just affect you but your loved ones as well. Guess who has to take time off from work or school to drive your ass to get your treatment or your 5th surgery?

It's emotionally and economically draining. I'd rather limit the pleasure that red meat and alcohol (limit, not give up completely) provide now in exchange for a more dignified and better older age.

I wasn’t serious, at all.

 

[Ice That Jaw]

What I do to avoid colorectal cancer is sunbathe. A couple studies have found sunbathing reduces the risk of developing colorectal cancer by 75%.

A little on that can be read here:

https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/01/12/what-causes-heart-disease-part-44/

excerpt:

....Instead, here is a list of benefits that have been found from increased sun exposure. I am giving you the most positive figures here (these are relative risk reductions).:

• 75% reduction in colorectal cancer
• 50% reduction in breast cancer
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma 20 – 40% reduction
• Prostate cancer 50% reduction
• Bladder cancer 30% reduction
• Metabolic syndrome/type II diabetes 40% reduction
• Alzheimer’s 50% reduction
• Multiple sclerosis 50% reduction
• Psoriasis 60% reduction
• Macular degeneration 7-fold reduction in risk
• Improvement in mood/well-being.6,7

Well, what do you know. If you raise your gaze from malignant melanoma there is a world of benefits associated with greater exposure to the sun. With all these benefits, you would expect to see a real improvement in life expectancy. Does this happen?

Indeed, it does. There have been a series of studies in Denmark and Sweden looking at the benefit of sunshine. One of them, which looked at overall life expectancy, concluded that avoiding the sun was as bad for you as smoking.

‘Non-smokers who avoided sun exposure had a life expectancy similar to smokers in the highest sun exposure group, indicating that avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for death of a similar magnitude as smoking. Compared to the highest sun exposure group, life expectancy of avoiders of sun exposure was reduced by 0.6-2.1 years.’’8

This was a twenty-year study. If average life expectancy is around eighty years, we can safely multiply those figures by four, to work out that a decent amount of sun exposure can add somewhere between three, to eight years, to your life expectancy. Let’s call it five....

Probably even better to use a UVB lamp. You won't tan but you also won't have wrinkly skin and sunspots in your late 40s like you will if you sunbathe. I bet all those benefits are coming from the UVB rays and is tied to the vitamin d it produces on your skin. UVA produces zero vitamin d and penetrates deep into the lower layers of your skin, causing increased aging.

The sun is like 95% UVA. In the winter it's like 98%.

 

[BarryDillon]

According to a recent study, eating as little as 2 rashers of bacon, slices of ham or 2 small slices of roast beef will increase your chances of getting colon cancer. Also, according to the study alcohol was linked with an increase in colorectal cancer too. whereas fibre from bread and breakfast cereals was associated with a reduced risk.

I have an issue with these studies in general, but I must admit, it looks pretty evident in this study. Relying on modern data.

So my question is, given the climate impact cattle farming has on the environment and the ever growing links to cancer, is it time we looked at red and processed meat consumption?

https://academic.oup.com/ije/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ije/dyz064/5470096

Abstract
Background
Most of the previous studies on diet and colorectal cancer were based on diets consumed during the 1990s.

Methods
We used Cox-regression models to estimate adjusted hazard ratios for colorectal cancer by dietary factors in the UK Biobank study. Men and women aged 40–69 years at recruitment (2006–10) reported their diet on a short food-frequency questionnaire (n = 475 581). Dietary intakes were re-measured in a large sub-sample (n = 175 402) who completed an online 24-hour dietary assessment during follow-up. Trends in risk across the baseline categories were calculated by assigning re-measured intakes to allow for measurement error and changes in intake over time.

Results
During an average of 5.7 years of follow-up, 2609 cases of colorectal cancer occurred. Participants who reported consuming an average of 76 g/day of red and processed meat compared with 21 g/day had a 20% [95% confidence interval (CI): 4–37] higher risk of colorectal cancer. Participants in the highest fifth of intake of fibre from bread and breakfast cereals had a 14% (95% CI: 2–24) lower risk of colorectal cancer. Alcohol was associated with an 8% (95% CI: 4–12) higher risk per 10 g/day higher intake. Fish, poultry, cheese, fruit, vegetables, tea and coffee were not associated with colorectal-cancer risk.

Conclusions
Consumption of red and processed meat at an average level of 76 g/d that meets the current UK government recommendation (≤90 g/day) was associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Alcohol was also associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, whereas fibre from bread and breakfast cereals was associated with a reduced risk.

It's well past time, especially in Western nations like the US.

 

[BarryDillon]

Literally reading this while ingesting bacon strips.

Circling right back to that Atlantic article @Jack V Savage shared in the Lounge thread.

LMAO.

"Sound like bullshit to me."

*Gorging intensifies*

 

[monster zero]

Cool, what does a diet of sugars and fast food do for cancer %, curious how they fare vs red meat.

 

[Beechwood]

Probably even better to use a UVB lamp. You won't tan but you also won't have wrinkly skin and sunspots in your late 40s like you will if you sunbathe. I bet all those benefits are coming from the UVB rays and is tied to the vitamin d it produces on your skin. UVA produces zero vitamin d and penetrates deep into the lower layers of your skin, causing increased aging.

The sun is like 95% UVA. In the winter it's like 98%.

Could be. I think it is difficult to say for certain. That is what I do though In the winter time I use a sun vitamin D lamp myself.

I know that there are other substances created by different fractions of light outside of UVB. As examples, UVA apparently helps to make nitric oxide in the body. NO helps with circulation along with a host of other health benefits. The infrared spectrum of light helps create another substance that is believed to help with circulation. So in my opinion it doesn't hurt to have some exposure to the full spectrum if available.

Another idea about how sunlight helps prevent cancer that I like is how sunlight can be used to treat jaundice in infants. In the past babies born prematurely that had high levels of bilirubin that causes jaundice would be placed outdoors exposed to sunlight. The sunlight would break down the billrubin, treating the jaundice. I think in hospitals today intense blue light therapy is used to treat jaundice in infants.

I don't know if other toxic substances in the body can be broken down by sunlight. It would not surprise me though if sunlight can help eliminate other unwanted items from the body. Just a guess though. I haven't read into that.

 

[mrbaapt]

Come with it.

Until then.

 

[Damien Karras]

Its really not a staple in the traditional sense of that red meat is easy to get while everything is not. North America doesnt really have a staple because you can go to any grocery store and find a myriad of options that are not red meat, very easily.

You just love red meat.

You can make a lot of things with ground beef. It’s cheap and versatile. When you have kids and are on a budget, it becomes an easy go-to. Chicken has gotten expensive. Pork is super cheap here as it is highly subsidized by the government (and we have high quality standards) but that is also red meat. We have fish once a week and incorporate one vegetarian dinner per week as s’a rule in our family. We’ll have red meat once or twice a week