Editing Meat (section)

=== Cancer ===

{{main|Red meat#Cancer}}

The consumption of processed and red meat carries an increased risk of cancer. The [[International Agency for Research on Cancer]] (IARC), a specialized agency of the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO), classified processed meat (e.g., bacon, ham, hot dogs, sausages) as, "carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), based on sufficient evidence in humans that the consumption of processed meat causes colorectal cancer."<ref name="who">{{cite web |title=Q&A on the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat |url=https://www.who.int/features/qa/cancer-red-meat/en/ |publisher=World Health Organization |access-date=August 7, 2019 |date=October 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230323222509/https://www3.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11394:iarc-evaluates-consumption-of-red-meat-and-processed-meat&Itemid=0&lang=en "IARC evaluates consumption of red meat and processed meat"]. paho.org. Retrieved March 22, 2023.</ref> IARC classified red meat as "probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A), based on limited evidence that the consumption of red meat causes cancer in humans and strong mechanistic evidence supporting a carcinogenic effect."<ref name="WHO-20151026">{{cite news |author=Staff |title=World Health Organization – IARC Monographs evaluate consumption of red meat and processed meat |url=http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2015/pdfs/pr240_E.pdf |work=[[International Agency for Research on Cancer]] |access-date=October 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151026144543/http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2015/pdfs/pr240_E.pdf |archive-date=October 26, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><!--<ref name="NYT-20151026">{{cite news |last=Hauser |first=Christine |title=W.H.O. Report Links Some Cancers With Processed or Red Meat |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/27/health/report-links-some-types-of-cancer-with-processed-or-red-meat.html |date=October 26, 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=October 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151026173834/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/27/health/report-links-some-types-of-cancer-with-processed-or-red-meat.html |archive-date=October 26, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="BBC-20151026">{{cite news |author=Staff |title=Processed meats do cause cancer – WHO |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34615621 |date=October 26, 2015 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=October 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151026101723/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34615621 |archive-date=October 26, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>-->

[[Cancer Research UK]], [[National Health Service]] (NHS) and the [[National Cancer Institute]] have stated that red and processed meat intake increases risk of [[bowel cancer]].<ref>[https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/red-meat-and-the-risk-of-bowel-cancer/ "Red meat and the risk of bowel cancer"]. nhs.uk. Retrieved March 22, 2023.</ref><ref>[https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/diet-and-cancer/does-eating-processed-and-red-meat-cause-cancer "Does eating processed and red meat cause cancer?"]. cancerresearchuk.org. Retrieved March 22, 2023.</ref><ref>[https://progressreport.cancer.gov/prevention/red_meat "Red Meat and Processed Meat Consumption"]. progressreport.cancer.gov. Retrieved March 22, 2023.</ref> The [[American Cancer Society]] in their "Diet and Physical Activity Guideline", stated "evidence that red and processed meats increase cancer risk has existed for decades, and many health organizations recommend limiting or avoiding these foods."<ref>{{cite journal |title=American Cancer Society guideline for diet and physical activity for cancer prevention |journal=CA |date=2020 |doi=10.3322/caac.21591 |last1=Rock |first1=Cheryl L. |last2=Thomson |first2=Cynthia |last3=Gansler |first3=Ted |last4=Gapstur |first4=Susan M. |last5=McCullough |first5=Marjorie L. |last6=Patel |first6=Alpa V. |last7=Andrews |first7=Kimberly S. |last8=Bandera |first8=Elisa V. |last9=Spees |first9=Colleen K. |last10=Robien |first10=Kimberly |last11=Hartman |first11=Sheri |last12=Sullivan |first12=Kristen |last13=Grant |first13=Barbara L. |last14=Hamilton |first14=Kathryn K. |last15=Kushi |first15=Lawrence H. |last16=Caan |first16=Bette J. |last17=Kibbe |first17=Debra |last18=Black |first18=Jessica Donze |last19=Wiedt |first19=Tracy L. |last20=McMahon |first20=Catherine |last21=Sloan |first21=Kirsten |last22=Doyle |first22=Colleen |display-authors=6 |volume=70 |issue=4 |pages=245–271 |pmid=32515498 |s2cid=219550658|doi-access=free }}</ref> The [[Canadian Cancer Society]] have stated that "eating red and processed meat increases cancer risk".<ref>[https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/reduce-your-risk/eat-well/limit-red-and-processed-meat "Limit red and processed meat"]. cancer.ca. Retrieved April 10, 2023.</ref>

A 2021 review found an increase of 11–51% risk of multiple cancer per 100g/d increment of red meat, and an increase of 8–72% risk of multiple cancer per 50g/d increment of processed meat.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Huang Y, Cao D, Chen Z, Chen B, Li J, Guo J, Dong Q, Liu L, Wei Q |title=Red and processed meat consumption and cancer outcomes: Umbrella review |journal=Food Chem |volume=356 |pages=129697 |date=September 2021 |pmid=33838606 |doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129697 |type=Review}}</ref>

Cooking muscle meat creates [[heterocyclic amine]]s (HCAs), which are thought to increase cancer risk in humans. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute published results of a study which found that human subjects who ate beef rare or medium-rare had less than one third the risk of stomach cancer than those who ate beef medium-well or well-done.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/heterocyclic-amines |title=National Cancer Institute – Heterocyclic Amines in Cooked Meats |publisher=Cancer.gov |date=September 15, 2004 |access-date=May 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101221034421/http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/heterocyclic-amines |archive-date=December 21, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> While eating muscle meat raw may be the only way to avoid HCAs fully, the [[National Cancer Institute]] states that cooking meat below {{convert|212|F|C|order=flip}} creates "negligible amounts" of HCAs. [[Microwaving]] meat before cooking may reduce HCAs by 90%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/heterocyclic-amines |title=Heterocyclic Amines in Cooked Meats – National Cancer Institute |publisher=Cancer.gov |date=September 15, 2004 |access-date=May 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101221034421/http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/heterocyclic-amines |archive-date=December 21, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Nitrosamine]]s, present in processed and cooked foods, are carcinogenic, being linked to colon cancer. [[Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon]]s, present in processed, smoked and cooked foods, are similarly carcinogenic.<ref name="PAHs">{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scf/out154_en.pdf |title=PAH-Occurrence in Foods, Dietary Exposure and Health Effects |access-date=May 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519225348/http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scf/out154_en.pdf |archive-date=May 19, 2011 }}</ref>