A recent 10-year study, the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), found that people who ate red meat every day were a third more likely to develop colon cancer than those who didn’t. The culprits could be two compounds called hemoglobin and myoglobin, which are found in all red meat. Researchers theorize that the compounds react with chemicals in the gut to create cancer-causing agents.
Suggestion
EPIC found that guys (and girls) who ate 2.8 oz (80 g) of red meat a day were about 30% more likely to develop colon cancer. But even those who ate as little as 2 oz (55 g) of red meat a day had an increased risk of colon cancer.
The lesson?
Only eat red meat once a week, and limit your portion to about 8 oz. Any more than that and you’ll be taking an undesirable risk.
