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You should probably read this, especially if you have children.

post #1 of 24
8/19/11 at 7:57pm
Thread Starter 
From an article by Neal Barnard, M.D., President, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:

The issue is cancer. Every year, about 143,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 50,000 die of the disease. About half of all cases are already incurable when found. The U.S. Government and other entities have poured millions of dollars into the search for the cause. But one of the causes they found turned out to be too hot for the government to handle.

It's the ordinary hot dog. At least 58 scientific studies have looked at the issue, and the jury has rendered its verdict, which is now beyond reasonable doubt.

Here's the article: Could Processed Meat Give You Cancer?

I've been slowly weaning myself off meat for a while now; guess I'm quite done with hotdogs and deli meats. *shudder*

AC
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post #2 of 24
8/20/11 at 12:05am
Interesting theory. The thing is, everything apparently causes cancer these days. I mean, processed meat is packed with calories, sodium, fat and other "goodies", so yeah, its bad for you anyway but it seems every day they come out with the statement "_____ causes cancer!". I remember eggs filling in that blank not too long ago.

" Exactly how processed meats do their dirty work is not clear; it could be their nitrites, saturated fat or other ingredients."

If that's the case, there are TONS of food that can cause cancer. As for nitrites, I bet its in our drinking water too.

Anyway, isn't there nitrite free varieties of processed meats available? If so, that might be a good way to enjoy the occasional "naughty meat" snack.
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post #3 of 24
8/20/11 at 12:13am
The article was a nice thought, but sadly the Huffington Post has gone down in credibility in the past year or so. Not only does the article not give links to any studies, but if you read the comments, the results of those studies have been blown out of proportion by internet blogs such as this one.

Are hot dogs good for you? Of course not. Will they Make you have cancer? No.
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post #4 of 24
8/20/11 at 12:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minka View Post
The article was a nice thought, but sadly the Huffington Post has gone down in credibility in the past year or so. Not only does the article not give links to any studies, but if you read the comments, the results of those studies have been blown out of proportion by internet blogs such as this one.

Are hot dogs good for you? Of course not. Will they Make you have cancer? No.
Strange. I usually do read the comments before deciding how much weight to give an article, but didn't do so this time. For some reason, this article hit me with an "oh-no!" feeling instead of my typical "oh-really" response.

And I don't even eat hot dogs.

Sorry!!

AC
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post #5 of 24
8/20/11 at 2:08pm
I think there's something to it. YEARS ago (as in over a decade) I remember reading an article about kids who eat hotdogs frequently having 3X the amount of leukemia than kids who didn't. Ever since then, I only buy nitrite/nitrate free hot dogs, luncheon meats and bacon, and in small quantities at that. I think the risk is highest in children--who of course eat the most of that stuff.
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post #6 of 24
8/20/11 at 2:23pm
I think it would be easier if they just listed things they think that DON'T cause cancer.

Be a much shorter list!
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post #7 of 24
8/20/11 at 3:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducman69 View Post
I think it would be easier if they just listed things they think that DON'T cause cancer.

Be a much shorter list!
I'm just waiting for someone to recommend breath holding as a way to prevent cancer.

Seriously though; I think our best bet is just to stick to the plain ol smart eating and going organic with things that can harbor pesticides and what not. But being a parent I'll tell you it can be hard to not give your kid processed meats. My LO will only eat meat I have just cooked. And even then it can be hit and miss if she feels like eating whatever it is. Sometimes it feels like some meat is better than none. Esp since her fav foods aren't ususally the ones that contain iron and things like that. Being on this side of it; I see why some parents do it!
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post #8 of 24
8/20/11 at 4:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoochNNoodles
Sometimes it feels like some meat is better than none.
I agree, people often don't warn enough about the dangers of not including meat in the diet, assuming that they only have to worry about sufficient protein and amino acid intake. If your kid grows up and moves to San Fransico in his Prius and is a bleeding-heart that enjoys the smell of his own toots, its cuz you didn't feed him enough steak! JKJKJK! *ducks objects thrown by vegan crowd*

BTW, for kids that aren't big on meat, the trick I've learned is sloooooooow cook it and don't put on too many spices. When its falling off the bone, they nomnom it up! Supposedly that's less cancerous too, since the 'blackening' or whatever you call it supposedly induces cancer too.
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post #9 of 24
8/20/11 at 8:13pm
I think there's something to it along with all the genetically modified foods we consume, the chemicals used in agriculture, and the steroids given to our meat supply. I think all the processed foods we eat also contribute to the rise in cancer and several other health issues we've seen in the past 20 or so years.
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post #10 of 24
8/21/11 at 6:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by stephanietx View Post
I think there's something to it along with all the genetically modified foods we consume, the chemicals used in agriculture, and the steroids given to our meat supply. I think all the processed foods we eat also contribute to the rise in cancer and several other health issues we've seen in the past 20 or so years.
I tend to agree with this post. When I grew up we ate meat that had no steroids, eggs that were from our free-range hens, vegetables grown in our own garden. We didn't eat pre-packaged foods that were "preserved", mom made everything from scratch. We were rarely sick and neither were our friends. We did not have or eat processed foods like deli meats at all, never had hotdogs.

The only health issue I have at age 65 is my COPD from smoking cigarettes which was dumb and stupid but too late now.

Some years ago they said bacon caused cancer then retracted it. As Ducman says, they should probably put out a list of what doesn't cause cancer - it would be shorter.
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post #11 of 24
8/21/11 at 10:17am
It could probably be proven with facts and statistics that the biggest cause of cancer in laboratory rats is cancer researchers.

Keep in mind that the Huffington Post is not a news organization, but rather an aggregator of news, none of which they originate and most of which is chosen to attract traffic to their site. A tabloid, in other words, and that should be taken into consideration.
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post #12 of 24
8/21/11 at 10:49pm
For those of you who doubt that processed meats can cause cancer, would you believe the U.S. government's principal agency for cancer research, the National Cancer Institute?

"In addition to caloric intake, several studies have reported elevated risks associated with the high consumption of red and processed meat, and with low intake of vegetables and fruits."

There are about 3,000 additives put in processed foods - some are proven to be health adverse and are banned everywhere but in North America. Nobody believes processed foods are good for you (which means they are not good for you and could very well cause health problems).

Want to read something really disgusting? Do a little research on how processed meats are made, what is added to them, and the nasty stuff the sick animals are fed before they are slaughtered. It's not just nitrites (although those are scary enough).

The solution is simple: use whole meats from animals that are local, organic, or raised in humane conditions. Any of these will give you a much higher quality of meat. Cook 'em, slice 'em, put them on your sandwich.

OR you could just say that everything causes cancer so why bother, and light up a cigarette or take apart an x-ray machine. You'll be fine; there's no such thing as cumulative effect, right?
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post #13 of 24
8/22/11 at 10:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SwampWitch View Post
For those of you who doubt that processed meats can cause cancer, would you believe the U.S. government's principal agency for cancer research, the National Cancer Institute?

"In addition to caloric intake, several studies have reported elevated risks associated with the high consumption of red and processed meat, and with low intake of vegetables and fruits."
Did you notice the equivocation of red meat and processed meat?

By the way...if you believe this, you might want to become a Seventh-day Adventist, or at least study their dietary beliefs. They have believed for over 125 years that eating meat was a major cause of cancer (along with smoking, which they also prohibit). In fact, in almost every form of cancer, strict Adventists are highly sought as a control group. They formed the core of the research that found that taking oral contraceptives was almost completely safe, as long as a woman doesn't smoke and isn't exposed to second-hand smoke.
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post #14 of 24
8/22/11 at 10:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrblanche View Post
Did you notice the equivocation of red meat and processed meat?

By the way...if you believe this, you might want to become a Seventh-day Adventist, or at least study their dietary beliefs. They have believed for over 125 years that eating meat was a major cause of cancer (along with smoking, which they also prohibit). In fact, in almost every form of cancer, strict Adventists are highly sought as a control group. They formed the core of the research that found that taking oral contraceptives was almost completely safe, as long as a woman doesn't smoke and isn't exposed to second-hand smoke.
Any meat, including beef and chicken, is bad for you if it's pumped full of hormones and man-made chemicals; farmed fish is pretty nasty, too. I'd eat natural range grass-fed beef over a farmed caged chicken any day.

If you eat lots of fresh produce, it's supposed to counteract the bad effects of farmed and processed meat, but isn't it better to eat lots of produce AND natural meats?

The more our food is messed with, the worse it is for our health.
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post #15 of 24
8/22/11 at 11:37am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrblanche View Post
....

... In fact, in almost every form of cancer, strict Adventists are highly sought as a control group. They formed the core of the research that found that taking oral contraceptives was almost completely safe, as long as a woman doesn't smoke and isn't exposed to second-hand smoke.
This group is sought as controls in cancer studies? That's pretty darn interesting, MrBlanche. Clearly, whatever their diet is, it's a healthy one.

AC
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post #16 of 24
8/22/11 at 1:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrblanche View Post
Did you notice the equivocation of red meat and processed meat?

By the way...if you believe this, you might want to become a Seventh-day Adventist, or at least study their dietary beliefs. They have believed for over 125 years that eating meat was a major cause of cancer (along with smoking, which they also prohibit). In fact, in almost every form of cancer, strict Adventists are highly sought as a control group. They formed the core of the research that found that taking oral contraceptives was almost completely safe, as long as a woman doesn't smoke and isn't exposed to second-hand smoke.
True.

I was a member some time ago. I remember what someone in the church told me, that I have repeated often: If you want to be as strong as an ox, you don't have to eat the ox. You just have to eat what the ox eats.
Many strict Seventh-day Adventists are vegetarian, but it is not required. Dietary laws are from the Bible. They do not eat pork or shellfish. They don't drink or smoke, and don't eat or drink caffiene (even in chocolate!).

I knew a woman in her mid 60's who grew up in the church and was a third generation vegetarian. She had type 1 diabetes and seemed healthier than many women half her age. Once I called her and she was out of breath. I asked if she was ok, and she said, of course I am! I was just bouncing a tennis ball against the house.
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post #17 of 24
8/22/11 at 2:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by stephanietx View Post
I think all the processed foods we eat also contribute to the rise in cancer and several other health issues we've seen in the past 20 or so years.
Cancer risks increase exponentially with age.

People are living a lot longer now, and the baby boomers are getting old, so IMO its completely expected that cancer rates would be higher.

I would bet you the cancer rate in many African countries is extremely low for example, but then they have a average life expectancy from the 30s to 40s.
Quote:
If you want to be as strong as an ox, you don't have to eat the ox. You just have to eat what the ox eats.
I don't know of many vegetarian body builders.
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post #18 of 24
8/22/11 at 4:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rockcat View Post
I knew a woman in her mid 60's who grew up in the church and was a third generation vegetarian. She had type 1 diabetes and seemed healthier than many women half her age. Once I called her and she was out of breath. I asked if she was ok, and she said, of course I am! I was just bouncing a tennis ball against the house.
Wait, so are you saying that she was diabetic and out of breath because she was a vegetarian, or what?
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post #19 of 24
8/22/11 at 4:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minka View Post
Wait, so are you saying that she was diabetic and out of breath because she was a vegetarian, or what?
Lol, type-1 diabetes isn't diet-related at all, it's something that just happens to some people, usually from a very young age (their pancreas just stops making insulin, the cause is unknown). Of course, diet plays a part in managing it, but if she was healthy into her 60s she was doing pretty good for a type-1 diabetic. . .my dad worked with a guy with type-1 diabetes and he died from it in his late 40s. So her diet must have worked well for her ailment. And anybody would be out-of-breath from physical exertion.
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post #20 of 24
8/22/11 at 7:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minka View Post
Are hot dogs good for you? Of course not. Will they Make you have cancer? No.

This is why, when I have a choice, I always pick kosher hot dogs. For one, they're the only ones at the major grocery store I shop at frequently that doesn't have HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup). Doing my best to limit my exposure to that, I read the labels on everything. I've found it in most hot dogs. packaged foods marked kosher go through strict guidelines, and thus have little to no fillers and other garbage.

That said, I don't want to see this thread get into an IMO type of heated debate over additives like HFCS. I know we've had those here before (and on FB).

My rule: be aware of what you put into your body. Period. read the ingredients list, eat whole foods (non-processed) as much as possible. I know being on a limited budget myself, I have to sometimes go with whatever is in my cupboards... and sometimes that's processed food. I limit it as much as possible, though.

Amanda
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post #21 of 24
8/22/11 at 11:36pm
According to government officials, scientists, dieticians, etc. virtually everything will give you cancer. And I have a theory as to why. For all the billions of dollars we have put into cancer research, we know nothing. We don't actually know what causes it. All we have is some data that somewhat supports or opposes certain things. But the largest portion of data we have on cancer is still inconclusive. As a result, I don't pay any attention to reports of "what will give me cancer".
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post #22 of 24
8/23/11 at 5:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducman69 View Post
I don't know of many vegetarian body builders.
There are LOTS of strong people who are not body builders. I never thought about it before, but Googling vegetarian body builder produced many results.

Besides, I bet you can't name one ox who is a body builder.
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post #23 of 24
8/23/11 at 5:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minka View Post
Wait, so are you saying that she was diabetic and out of breath because she was a vegetarian, or what?
No, quite the opposite. What I'm saying is, in spite of her disease (which is not from her diet), she was healthy and athletic. There's a good chance that this can be attributed to her lifestyle.
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post #24 of 24
8/25/11 at 6:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TigerOnTheProwl View Post
According to government officials, scientists, dieticians, etc. virtually everything will give you cancer. And I have a theory as to why. For all the billions of dollars we have put into cancer research, we know nothing. We don't actually know what causes it.
Simply untrue. An accurate statement would be "We don't know what causes all types of cancers." There are many completely different types of cancer, and it's a known fact that the causes are just as varied - many causes are well known.

You don't believe that too much sun exposure could be a problem? What about cigarette smoking? Or too much radiation exposure - people in Japan for example - when there's an increase in cancer of those around the broken nuclear reactors, is that a complete mystery? What about the link between cancer and HPV - how was a vaccine developed if it's not known the cause is a virus?

It's a fact that great strides have been made against cancer, some cancers are absolutely curable now.
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