High red meat consumption is associated with a reduced risk of cancer

This study was published in the British Medical Journal 1997 Oct 18;315(7114):1018

 

Study title and authors:

Frequent consumption of red meat is not risk factor for cancer.

Cox BD, Whichelow MJ.

 

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9365318

This study investigated the association between diet and the risk of cancer. The study lasted for seven years and included 1,630 men and 2,030 women who were free of cancer at the start of the study.

Regarding red meat consumption, the study found:
(a) Men who consumed red meat everyday had an ~18% reduced risk of cancer compared to men who consumed red meat less than once a week.
(b) Women who consumed red meat everyday had an ~8% reduced risk of cancer compared to women who consumed red meat less than once a week.

The data from the study shows that men and women who consume higher amounts of red meat have a reduced risk of cancer.