The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared red meat a carcinogen. That’s a declaration millions of people worldwide ignore, and Ruth’s Chris, Morton’s, and Ponderosa wouldn’t exist if they didn’t. Consumption of red meat depends largely on the socioeconomic and cultural norms of a country. The more affluent the country’s populace, the higher the red meat consumption, and the more vegan/vegetarian the culture is, the lower the red meat consumption.
Colorectal cancer has been linked to the cooking of red meat as was mentioned in my blog on grilling published in August. The heterocyclic amines (HCA’s) and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s) generated by cooking red meats seem to be the carcinogenic agents involved in increasing the risk of colon cancer. The estimated lifetime risk for colon cancer without any risk factors is 4%. Consuming 50 grams per day of “processed” red meat increases that risk by 18%, increasing the lifetime risk to 5% (1 percentage point).
Processing of red meat involves a change in the meat as a result of “salting, smoking, or curing” plus cooking on the grill. A 1 percent increase isn’t much, and to achieve that increase, a person has to eat red meat every day. Few people actually do that so the risk isn’t actually as much as was stated.
Still, anything in excess has consequences so moderation is the best approach to the consumption of red meats. The figure of lifetime risk of 5% requires the daily intake of 50 grams of red meat. The actual threshold of intake of red meat that leads to the slightest increase in risk is not known, but we know limiting the intake of anything is beneficial. Fifty grams of red meat is equal to one hot dog, two slices of ham, or three slices of bacon. That’s not very much and consuming that amount is easy—but not every day. However, if you do, you need to stop it right away, and moderate your consumption.
Vegetarians are on the right track when it comes to eating right. I love vegetables as much as anybody, but an occasional steak, hamburger, or hot dog makes life more enjoyable for me. And colonoscopy has been developed as a means to detect whether your eating habits are causing you problems. I would definitely recommend moderation with red meat. I would also recommend a colonoscopy at age 45 if you’re not able to limit red meat. Where a primary recommendation can’t be followed, a back up plan is always available.
Reference: McKnight P, Does Eating Red Meat Actually Raise Your Cancer Risk?” Medscape 2025 September 5.
