[485] in Vegetarian_Support_Group
red meat and cancer
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (elsiedee@MIT.EDU)
Fri Apr 7 21:10:42 1995
To: vsg@MIT.EDU
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 95 21:09:57
From: elsiedee@MIT.EDU
------- Forwarded Message
To: AR-NEWS@cygnus.com
Subject: SURPRISE: EatingBeefMayCause...
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 20:11:38 -0400
From: DHARMALCL@aol.com
(Release at 2300 GMT April 5)
LONDON, April 6 (Reuter) - Eating red meat may cause cancer in humans
and
urgent studies are needed to check circumstantial evidence of this, British
scientists said on Thursday.
Dr Alan Boobis of the Royal Postgraduate Medical School in London told
a
meeting of Britain's Biochemical Society that red meat contains compounds
that could be toxic to humans.
``We know from epidemiological studies that consumption of cooked red
meat is associated with the development of bowel cancer,'' Boobis told the
meeting in Leicester, central England.
``The reasons for this association are not known but it has been found
that during the cooking process, the action of heat on natural components
of
the meat results in the formation of a group of compounds known as HAs
(heterocyclic amines) which can cause cell mutation.''
Studies on HAs showed they were toxic to DNA -- the basic building
block
of living organisms -- and that they caused cancer in several animals
tested,
Boobis added.
He said he had some evidence that cigarette smoking could increase the
chances of activating HAs.
``The implications of these findings for human health have yet to be
determined but clearly there is sufficient information to justify further
studies,'' Boobis said.
``We particularly need to know ... whether other foods can prevent the
activation of HAs.''
Other studies have shown that vegetarians have a lower rate of cancer
and
heart disease than meat-eaters. But researchers said it was not clear if
this
was because they ate more fruits and vegetables or because they did not eat
meat, or a combination of the two.
Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and fibre known to help prevent
heart disease and cancer.
Transmitted: 95-04-06 01:08:55 EDT
------- End of Forwarded Message
