Dietary Fats and Red Meat

Red meat is an excellent source of protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12, yet the so-called "Western-style diet" that is high in red meat and animal fats and low in fiber, fruits, and vegetables has long been associated with increased risk of obesity, heart disease, and certain cancers.

Most people set an upper limit on the quantity of food that they consume on an average day. This means that for every extra bite of meat that's eaten, there's a bite of vegetable that's going uneaten. One contributing factor to the link between the Western diet and cancer might therefore simply be the lack of a positive effect of fruits and vegetables.

But is there something more than just the lack of a protective effect of the "good" foods? Is there something in red meat and other sources of dietary fat that can actually increase the risk of developing cancer?

In studying the effects of dietary fat and red meat on prostate cancer, two possible mechanisms have been offered: one focusing on the type of fat and the other focusing on the cooking method. Although the data are still preliminary in both of these areas, results to date suggest that dietary fats and red meat can negatively influence the growth of prostate cancer cells and therefore deserve attention.

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