05-28-09 RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—We all know smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, accounting for 85 to 95 percent of all cases. But researchers have now found evidence that nonsmokers can cut their risk further by cutting back on red meat. The study, led by a National Institutes of Health researcher, was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition this month.
THE DETAILS: Researchers investigated data on nearly 280,000 men and 190,000 women, including the types of meat they ate, how they cooked it, and an estimation of how much iron they absorbed from the meat. Researchers followed up eight years later and found that eating red meat increased the risk of lung cancer in both men (22 percent) and women (13 percent). Both men and women with higher iron intakes from meat had an increased risk in lung cancer; eating well-done or very-well-done meat was associated with lung cancer in men.
WHAT IT MEANS: Hands down, cigarette smoke (including secondhand smoke) is the major lung cancer culprit. Radon, a radioactive gas found in the bedrock under homes in some parts of the country, and particulate pollution, which comes from old diesel systems and coal-fired electricity plants, are also sources that significantly raise our risk. While eating red and processed meats doesn’t appear to pose nearly as big as a threat, it’s a layer of protection against lung cancer you can control. And many other studies have shown eating less (or no) red and processed meats can help you live longer and lower your risk of other cancers, including pancreatic cancer, which has been linked to eating charred meat. Add the fact that eating less meat reduces your carbon footprint, and you have a dietary change with multiple benefits.
Along with considering a less meatcentric diet, here’s how to keep your pipes clear and healthy:
• Form a strict “no smoking” policy. Don’t smoke, and don’t let anyone smoke in your house. Become active in your community to make public places no smoking spots, too. And don’t let this study fool you—if you’re a smoker, dropping red meat from your diet will do little to protect you, says Norman H. Edelman, MD, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association.
• Put the brakes on dirty school bus practices. Old school buses with old diesel engines are crusty, and often idle in front of schools, waiting for children to board. Talk to your local school officials and ask them to make drivers turn the vehicle off instead of idling, to prevent particulate pollution from hurting children and school neighbors.
• Clean up energy. Support clean-energy legislation to keep everyone’s air free of cancer-causing pollutants. Until more wind and solar energy are harnessed for power, the best thing you can do is cut back on your electric use. Chances are, a power plant is burning coal to power your computer or light your house.