For many years now, doctors have been warning us against the side effects of eating large quantities of red meat, as it was said to cause atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes and cancer. And most people, believing in the sanctity of our god-given carnivorous nature, choose to ignore these claims.
But in 2014 these claims became facts, as a group of scientists from the University of California* published their research on the correlation between red meat consumption and carcinoma risk in humans.
Picture: tumblr @yesyoushould
Pork, beef and lamb contain a specific sugar (called Neu5Gc), which is foreign to the human body. So while other carnivores can safely ingest these meats, to us, it is extremely harmful as it sparks a toxic immune reaction resulting in inflammation and eventually cancer.
You don’t have to give up meat altogether, but in the light of these facts, it might be worth considering if it really is an indispensable part of your diet. And keep in mind, that the safe daily intake of red meat is only 70g!
* The new research has been published in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences magazine.
(A red meat-derived glycan promotes inflammation and cancer progression PNAS 2015 112 (2) 542–547; published ahead of print December 29, 2014)
For more info about the research click here
