Nutrition: Red Meat Damages DNA?

Source: http://www.newstarget.com/019037.html

Highlight:
The Cancer Research Journal has published a study that claims red meat damages DNA and increases the risk of developing bowel cancer.

Original source:
http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=159572006

• EATING red meat alters your DNA and may lead to an increased risk of developing bowel cancer, scientists said yesterday.
• Chemical compounds formed while digesting meat can cause DNA to mutate and increase the likelihood of cancerous cells developing.
• People who eat two portions or more of red meat a day suffer significantly more DNA damage to the cells of their colon than those who follow a largely vegetarian diet or eat red meat less than once a week.
• The research, published in Cancer Research journal, found that people who eat large quantities of red or processed meat are more likely to develop cancerous tumours in their large bowel.
• N-nitroso compounds are formed in the large bowel after eating red meat and can attach themselves to DNA and cause it to mutate.
• Scientists compared the cells of healthy volunteers, some of them on a vegetarian diet, others eating large quantities of meat and over a period of two weeks were able to pinpoint DNA damage.
• "This research showed damage in healthy people so you can imagine that if someone was predisposed to bowel cancer or had an inflamed gut the effects would be more severe.
• Research by the Medical Research Council published last year showed the chance of developing colorectal cancer was a third higher in people who regularly ate more than two portions of red or processed meat a day compared to those who ate less than one portion a week.
• The charity advises people to eat no more than 80g of meat per day, as recommended by the World Cancer Research Fund.
• A spokeswoman for charity Beating Bowel Cancer said: "A third of all cancers are linked to what we eat and we must not underestimate the importance of a well-balanced diet in the prevention of bowel cancer.""