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Evil sausage goes on rampage - millions dead
6th April 2008
Here we go again. The madness is upon us
once more.
'Run for your lives! The evil sausage is
coming for us all!'
Yes, if you're an avid reader of The Good
Life, then you know what I'm going to talk
about. I last ranted about this in November
2007.
If you're scratching your head, check out this
past letter, which is available online:
Good Life Letter
SHOCK! Meat causes cancer!
I was on a visit to London on Monday. I've
been trying to sort out the publishing of my
forthcoming book, and see some old friends.
They have a free daily paper called Metro.
The headline screamed 'One sausage a day
ups cancer risk.'
I was appalled.
Why dredge up an old piece of news from
November? And why put it as the headline on
the front page?
Are they that desperate to conjure up some
news?
Surely London has PLENTY of other news to
talk about on the front page.
The story repeated the claims of Professor
Wiseman, medical and scientific adviser at
the charity World Cancer Research Fund. He
said:
'We are more sure now than ever before that
eating processed meat increases your risk of
bowel cancer and this is why we recommend
that people avoid eating it.
Whether you are talking about bacon, ham or
pastrami, the safest amount to eat is none at
all. You can make a positive difference by
cutting out as much as possible.'
Okay, look. I'm not a scientist. I'm an ordinary
guy looking out for his family (and readers!).
But are we really expected to NEVER eat
ANY ham again in our lives?
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Really?
Does that sound sensible to you?
I wonder why this story keeps returning to the
headlines, while all the other contributing
factors to cancer get away scott-free.
You know... lack of exercise, environmental
toxins, sugary foods, booze consumption and
general overconsumption, too much refined
carbohydrates, poor nutritional education,
additives and other chemicals in ready meals,
fast food advertising....
As I said back in November, Wiseman's
comments don't refer to some amazing
scientific discovery.
There is no new research involved in the
document: the study was based on looking at
7,000 other existing studies over five years.
To counterbalance this, Chris Lamb, the Meat
and Livestock Commission's consumer
marketing manager, said:
'The report recommends that people eat an
average of 500g of cooked red meat a week,
which is actually what the average consumer
is doing already.'
'Over the past couple of years there have
been other reports saying similar things, but
we can't identify any reduction in meat
consumption - in fact it has been up recently.
We'd be very surprised if there was a reaction
from consumers. People are intelligent: they'll
just say 'sod it' and get on with it.'
Absolutely. As shall I.
Why the facts don't quite add up
Obviously, if you eat processed meat every
day, there will probably be a negative effect
overall.
But most people also eat a variety of non-
processed meats, like chicken, fish, pork, and
steak,
Mr Lamb (what a BRILLIANT name for a Meat
& Livestock Commissioner!) also questioned
the science of the link. |
He points out that while meat consumption
has fallen, colo-rectal cancer rates have risen.
'If you go back 50 years, when chicken was
still a luxury, people used to eat red meat two
or even three times a day. But bacon
consumption has gone down 30 per cent
since 1970, yet colo-rectal cancer rates are
up by 10 per cent.'
Or here's my own example...
In Australia, red meat consumption has been
falling for decades. It's down by 20% in the
last 20 years. Yet colon cancer rates in that
country have increased.
Sarah Hiom, director of health information for
Cancer Research UK, also brings a bit of
common sense into the debate:
'It is also important to remember that many
other parts of your diet and wider lifestyle can
affect the risk of bowel cancer, along with the
genes.'
Ian Campbell, of the National Pig Association,
agrees. He says: 'Eating a balanced diet is
the key.'
Well, I never. Someone actually admits that it
is a whole host of lifestyle factors that
contribute to cancer risk. Of which, I would
guess, the occasional sausage is not a
primary culprit.
Oh, and if it's all so black and white, then
what's this...
Meat protects AGAINST cancer?
On the 27th February 2007 a study of 81,922
people was published in Gastroenterology
The data indicated that a meat diet protects
against the development of pancreatic
cancer.
The researchers looked at consumption of
methionine - a stand-in for meat - verses
pancreatic cancer. As methionine intake went
up, pancreatic cancer went down in all the
groups studied.
So what's going on? When there are so many
poisons, food disasters and chaos in the
modern world why this recurring panic about
traditional meat?
Well, it's partly sensationalism in the press.
'Sausage causes cancer' is a stronger
headline than 'Variety of environmental
factors and problems of moderns world,
including the ageing of the population causes
cancer.'
Also, the supermarkets don't lose out if
people stop buying bacon, sausage and ham.
They simply buy other, equally or MORE
profitable products off the shelves instead.
Lots of nice high margin processed pasta
dishes and the like.
What you should do
I am not against these risks and theries
becoming public information. It's just the
presentation of them that gets my goat.
Many people reading these headlines merely
panic and think that eating meat causes
cancer.
They adjust this part of the diet, and all the
other major factors escape the blame.
Confusion and fear take over.
At this rate, the country will go insane with
panic about traditional, hearty food that
generations of people have enjoyed.
My advice is to carry on eating a balanced
diet with lots of fresh fruit and veg, and plenty
of well-sourced free range meat... and yes,
that includes bacon, ham and sausage. Just
make sure it's only a few times a week.
It's not rocket science.
And don't worry, I'll be here to show you all
the different health possibilities of ordinary
foods... easy ways you can use ordinary food
and natural ingredients to lose weight, relieve
pain, fight infection and recover more quickly
from illness.
Let's leave the scaremongering to the
sensation-hungry free dailies!
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