Red Meat and Cancer?

 The National Cancer Institute recently completed a study that was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. In effect, the research said that eating red meat increases the chances of dying prematurely. The study of more than 500,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans found that those who consumed the equivalent of about a small hamburger per day were more than 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease and/or cancer during the 10 years they were followed. To no one’s surprise, there is a strong rebuttal from the beef industry. Here’s Ron Eustice a Beef Council Executive Director says the problem isn’t red meat - but failure to follow basic sound-health practices. “That includes avoiding smoking, use alcohol responsibly, we need to eat a balanced diet, we need to stay active and maintain a healthy weight, part of that is exercise, part of that is a balanced diet, but if we follow a diet that’s nutrient rich, that’s balanced with a nice blend of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low and non-fat dairy and lean meats, we can be as healthy as we’re supposed to be and that’s the important thing. The problem in this society today, is that we’ve got a high rate of obesity, we don’t get enough exercise, we’ve still got far too many people smoking, and there’s unfortunately, a lack of understanding of what a healthy diet is all about.”