In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that they have classified red and processed meats as carcinogenic, which meant that the people across the globe came to realize the truth about the possibility of early death with red meat and processed meat consumption. More specifically, the WHO classified processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogenic, meaning there is sufficient evidence of its carcinogenicity for human beings.
Red meat, to be specific, is any meat coming from the muscles of beef, veal, lamb, goat, mutton, veal, or horse. Meat from the internal organs, however, are usually dark in color, and they do not seem to have the same effect. Processed meat refers to any type of meat that has gone through one of the many processes used for preservation or attain a certain flavor. These processes include any meat that has been cured, smoked, salted, fermented, or made into any of the frankfurter, jerky, canned, or corned variety.
Too much of meat consumption is detrimental to an extent that it can lead to early death with red meat or processed variety. The most common effect of meat consumption is colorectal cancer, followed by other cancers like pancreatic and prostate. It can also be a leading cause of cardiovascular issues and all-cause mortality seem to also increase the risk of early death with red meat and processed meat.
The question that inevitably comes up when faced with such information is whether it is okay to eat these foods in moderation. Of course, it is quite difficult to change your eating habits, and give up red meat which you are accustomed to. A large study that tracked the eating habits of 96,000 people for 11 years concluded that there is a reasonable amount of risk of early death with red meat and processed meat consumption, even in moderation.
The entire group of 96,000 people belonged to the congregation of Seventh Day Adventists who are in fact known to eat primarily a plant-based diet. 8,000 participants died during the study duration and 90% of them consumed a maximum of two ounces of red or processed meat per day. About 1,800 participants died due to cancer-related issues and over 2,500 were associated with cardiovascular conditions. Majority of the residents in a city called Loma Linda, California belong to the group of Seventh Day Adventists, which means the people there mostly live on a plant based diet . Interestingly, the life expectancy of the residents of Loma Linda had been recorded as higher than the rest of the world, indirectly indicating the truth behind the theory of early death with red meat.
Although researchers have not proven early death with red meat because there may also be other factors responsible like genetics, physical activity, diet, and health in general. However, increasingly, there are studies that show a strong link between red and processed meat and an increased risk of serious health decline.
One of the major mechanisms by which meat products affect the body is by causing inflammation.
Acute inflammation is a natural and healthy part of your immune response. This process helps to get rid of dead and damaged cells, as well as the original insult which killed or damaged those cells. The inflammation circuit, which is composed of the gut, microbiome and immune cells, is part of the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response, your body’s response to stress.
The other five NEM circuits are the Hormone, the Bioenergetics, the Cardionomic, the Neuroaffect, and the Detoxification circuits.
Although what you eat can affect all six NEM circuits, there is a special relationship between food and inflammation. This is because inflammation almost always begins in the gut. The gut actually contains two-thirds of your immune cells in specialized tissue called the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT).
Even though acute inflammation is often caused by infections or injuries, it is also caused by the food that you eat, most specifically if red and processed meats is consumed on a regular basis. When you regularly eat such foods that cause inflammation, your microbiome begins to become imbalanced. This imbalanced microbiome is called a state of dysbiosis.
In dysbiosis, your gut lining is severely compromised. The gut lining develops leaks which causes harmful substances like food particles, toxins, and pathogens enter the bloodstream. As a result, the immune system gets activated to fight these toxins. This leads to an increased inflammation, locally at first and then it spreads rapidly throughout the gut lining.
If these inflammatory food sources are consumed despite inflammation, the immune system continues to fight in the form of causing further inflammation. With time, the level of inflammation becomes uncontrolled spreading it outside the gut to other parts of the body.
Inflammation can spread to different parts of the body. For example, it will cause joint pain if it spreads to the bone, inflammation that spreads to the brain and nervous system can create brain fog, depression, anxiety, and insomnia, and inflammation that spreads to the cardiovascular system can create cardiovascular issues.
Early death with red meat and processed meat can happen due to a build-up of cholesterol and plaque in the arteries. This activates the immune system as well, causing further inflammation. This may result in the growth of even more plaques, loosen the plaque already there, or cause blood to clot. All this may eventually lead to a stroke or heart attack.
Interestingly, both these paths, increases the risk of early death with red meat and processed meat. The longer you allow chronic inflammation to persist in your body, your health will continue to decline. Given that inflammation does not always have easily-recognizable symptoms, it is wise to make dietary and lifestyle changes as a preventative measure. This would ease the inflammation if any, reverse damage, and prevent any future issues.
If you want to save yourself from early death with red meat, then incorporating a plant-based, anti-inflammatory diet is a possible way forward. After all, cardiovascular disease and cancer are the two biggest killers of Americans today.
One important factor to consider when dealing with inflammation, especially with the dysregulation of the Inflammation circuit of the NEM, is the role of the adrenal glands. Although the adrenal glands are part of the NEM’s Hormone circuit, they directly affect inflammation through the secretion of their potent anti-stress hormone, cortisol.
Some of the functions of cortisol is to help maintain the heart and blood vessels, regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels, suppress the immune system once it has done its job, and neutralize inflammation.
When your body is faced with stress, such as that caused by eating inflammatory foods like red or processed meat, your adrenals secrete cortisol to deal with it. And although your body is equipped to handle acute stress, just like acute inflammation, it is not made to handle chronic stress.
Chronic stress can cause Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS), which at first shows an increase in cortisol levels, bringing along a certain set of symptoms, including an increase in inflammation. However, if AFS is advanced, the cortisol output drops, increasing the severity of the symptoms and the inflammation spreads uncontrollably throughout the body.
Symptoms of AFS include fatigue, weight gain, insomnia, anxiety, mild depression, brain fog, hair loss, loss of libido, PMS, infertility, food and drug sensitivities, heart palpitations, lowered immunity, dry skin, and hypoglycemia.
AFS can actually increase your sensitivity to foods such as red and processed meats. It can make your cardiovascular system more vulnerable and also lowers your immunity which makes it very difficult to fight conditions like cancer. This means that the risk of early death with red meat and processed meat may increase because of adrenal fatigue.
The good news, however, is that both the dysregulation of the Inflammation circuit and adrenal fatigue can both be ameliorated with the same recovery approach: diet and lifestyle changes.
Incorporating an adrenal fatigue diet, where the focus is to have more whole-foods, plant-based diet. Addition of healthy, organic lean proteins is also a huge step in the right direction. Removing certain food groups that may cause inflammation such as gluten, sugar, dairy, and highly processed meat would be highly beneficial.
The method of cooking should also be taken into consideration. For example, you can lessen the risk of early death with red meat and processed meat by avoiding cooking the meat over high heat or over a direct flame. Cooking at very high temperatures generates free radicals which are compounds that can contribute to oxidative stress and carcinogenic risk.
If you follow the above simple steps, your adrenals will begin to get stronger, and inflammation will start to subside. This in turn would replenish the body and strengthen it. By avoiding inflammation in your body, the risk early death with red meat will be very low and your general health will improve.
Although more studies need to be done on the exact mechanisms that contribute to the risk of early death with red meat and processed meat, evidence shows that there is a need for you to take extra precautions with your diet. This prevention will reverse any inflammation that can lead to potentially fatal diseases.
A whole-food, plant-based diet is a good option, as is the adrenal fatigue diet. These changes should be incorporated after discussing it with a healthcare professional. Decisions need to be made based on your individual health condition and personal requirements.
© Copyright 2020 Michael Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.
If you eat the Standard American Diet, you need to pay attention to these studies that show the increased risk of early death with red meat and processed meat. And if you want to avoid getting some of the biggest killer diseases in America, it’s time to make some changes.
