In Yahoo news recently I read an article by WHO (Worldwide Health Organization) about the carcinogens found in pre-processed, and most, if not all meats. And, if a person eats a diet full of meat or even a ‘sometimes’ meat-eater then their chance of colorectal cancer spikes by 18%.
While I skimmed through the article, (being a non-meat consumer by choice), this really didn’t strike fear into me. What I did come to the conclusion of after weighing these so-called ‘studies’ being conducted and did some article comparison with another report I read today put out by a French research group (sorry, I forgot the link to this particular article), it had me questioning the validity of BOTH articles. What I hated most about the French research group article: it goes way off topic and rattles off about industrial/ working cancers everything from radon gases (in the home and workplace) to heating/ cooking with coal. While a majority of Americans likely cook on gas and electric ovens nowadays, I’ve only met one person in my life that cooked and heated their home with coal and wood stoves in this modern age. They died after a long battle with cancer. However, there is no concrete proof that inhaling the stove ash that flies everywhere in a house when heating or cooking with coal caused their particular type of cancer. I’d be willing to guess the likely culprit was a probable [long defunct] fertilizer plant that polluted the ground, water, and area where they lived by burying their toxic waste in the ground across the street. Also, what about heating the home with propane? Now that will sicken you since they add in a special ‘perfume’ to let you know when the tank is near empty. Even with a window cracked open in the middle of a freezing winter couldn’t purify the air. But I don’t see the French article going in-depth about other heating sources, including natural gas, for one.
What both articles fail to point out is that cancers from environmental and air pollution will likely kill anybody long term, say 20-25 years down the road. Also, the French article delves into the Asbestos exposure risks and alcohol consumption causing everything from breast, lung, throat, liver to pancreas cancers. What it fails terribly to do is include a full list of these meats, pre-processed meats and “sauces” that supposedly (key word here is ‘supposedly’) cause colorectal cancer and its now ranking right up there with smoking as one of the leading killers.
So, drop that bottle of A-1 steak sauce. Throw out the Heinz 57 and kick that K.C. Masterpiece to the curb… see what I’m getting at? It’s stupid to give up everything. I say if you love it, stick with it. If you want to eat a certain way, so be it.
Since I don’t cook with any kind of meat sauce or even eat it, and certainly don’t waste my money on canned meats, pepperoni, hot dogs, ham, bacon, sausage, pork, or hamburger, lunch meats, these articles, I believe, are put out there all for the shock factor. And secondly, some folks do have the strong tendency to believe everything WHO tells them to be true and factual without question.
Yet, two years back or so these same “health experts” claimed that consuming a diet of fish like Salmon, Tuna, Cod, etc. has high levels of mercury and other nasty radioactive materials partially due to the Fukushima nuclear meltdown, yet, if we’d just stop importing wild Tuna off the banks of Thailand and other third-world countries and start up a fish hatchery and designate stock ponds here in the U.S. maybe there would be a slim chance fish would be safe to eat again. That’ll never happen.
What the first article did state: Natural Smoked-Flavoring, which is another name for MSG (mono-sodium-glutamate) and its also a man made chemical, but the ‘experts’ never say it *might* be largely responsible for upping the cancer risk in all of the foods you consume on a daily basis and there’s almost no avoiding this Natural Smoked Flavoring. It is injected in everything from chicken to ready made broth and bullion cubes to enhance the taste.
Whether or not these two articles hold any merit at all leaves a lot to be desired. And what these two recent “meat and cancer-risk” articles fail to include is naming these extra “etc.” mystery meats, that I suppose, will baffle us until another controversial article comes along. I estimate in the next year or so more articles will either debunk the WHO’s meat and cancer ‘study’ or confirm it, without a shadow of a doubt, these results are genuine, on the level, and not conducted by any outside pressures, money exchanging hands, underhanded inclusive and/ or rigged ‘findings’… yeah, right.
What WHO fails miserably at? Listing healthy food alternatives. However, the recent article I read states to eat more fresh fruits and veggies (yep, do that already). But here again with all the contamination in fish, aren’t they contradicting themselves?
Even I wouldn’t suggest fazing out all meat and pre-processed meat products entirely or would I say quit eating them cold turkey. With any new change in diet, weaning yourself off wouldn’t be a bad start. And if you can’t live without steaks, lamb, veil, pork, ham, and “meat” in general, I would opt to seek out an organic source of grass fed beef from a health food store. Whether or not it’s any healthier than what’s commonly available who’s to say for sure.
But if you’re lucky and you live on a farm and raise your own cattle and pigs, you might be certain what goes into that livestock and what you (as a farmer) might be eating is far better than what most likely have no control over the choices presented to them at the grocery store. The selection is what it is and let’s not exclude all the dyes, other parts of the cow, entrails and organs that comprise of meat as we know it.
And if you can’t stand to part with your Big Mac, large fries, and oil drum-sized soda, then don’t. Remember, what you put into your body is YOUR business. Don’t let these recent articles scare you off completely consuming meat, because I’m pretty sure the ‘experts’ that work for WHO are hypocrites and likely consume more meat in a month than your average middle class working family of five can afford to feed themselves.
As for the alcohol consumption and links to certain types of cancer, about a few years ago in 2008 or so, the experts were claiming one glass of red wine supposedly lowered the risk of heart disease. Now, they strongly advise even pregnant women not to touch a drop of alcohol during their pregnancies. It has nothing to do with the potential ‘fetal alcohol syndrome’ which, surprisingly, I never once see mention in health-related articles anymore.
So are they going to do away with serving wine during Communion next? Who’s to say.
In this world we live in today, sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, man made flavor enhancers, Xanthan gum (man made bacteria strain used to thicken gravies, salad dressings, and a host of other powdered spices, etc.), gar gum (Locust and bug shells), it’s no wonders we are literally “sickening” ourselves on all this pre-processed garbage.
And what is in hot dogs? Well, according to one commenter in Yahoo News, rabbit is the main ingredient. Then explain how human DNA gets into hot dogs, per the studies just recently published? I’m no scientist (and if I was, I’d be stinking rich), but I’m neither… my take would be unsafe handling methods/ unsanitary work conditions in hot dog and most food processing plants is a good probability. I was almost betting somebody in the comment section would mention the name of a real creepy 1973 movie starring Charleston Heston, “Soylent Green” where in a draconian universe, the masses are consuming their own human counterparts in these little green squares. I won’t give away the entire movie to those who haven’t seen it yet. And if everybody knew what they were consuming they’ll likely toss that $5 Meal Deal right out the window. It’s gross what goes into making a fish sandwich and hamburger patty. Oh, and don’t skip those lab-produced French fries either. Those are so laden with chemicals and some might not even be real potatoes that it’ll make you want to wretch.
My take on it all? It’s my belief that what will get us in the end won’t be a lifetime consumption of hamburgers, fries, sodas or even the occasional grilled steak and greasy bacon. Give it a few more years and there will likely be a different shift in how (and what) the health experts at WHO dictate you should eat more and less of, how much you drink of any given beverage and so on. I’m surprised that nowhere do I see any published studies being carried out on tap water given all the chemical treatments and nasty fluoride that gets dumped in that and doctors will stand up and be the first to proudly exclaim, “Keep Flouride in tap water. It’s not harmful.”
Really? Why then does one need to contact the poison control center if they accidentally swallow toothpaste? Why is there a depiction of a skull and crossbones on a hefty bag of Fluoride that comes straight from China and is dumped into the city water? I am far more health-conscious of the long term effects that would have on my body consuming tap water than worrying about a possible link (here again the key words I picked up from these articles was “may” and/ or “might” be linked to colorectal cancer). Doesn’t mean that eating meat everyday of your life will give it to you.
Remember, our ancestors used to consume high amounts of sausage, meat, steak, veil, lamb, and pork and probably didn’t die of colorectal cancer. What struck them dead back then at early ages some of the time? More often than not heart attack, stroke, disease, and infection being a number one killer in my mind since antibiotics, especially penicillin wasn’t thought of yet until around 1928 over in London by Alexander Fleming, a Professor of Bacteriology.
And before that our great, great, great, great ancestors likely lived on diets full of homemade bread, plant-based dishes, eggs, milk, potatoes, and wild game cooked over an open fire. That’s why it was feast and famine a lot of the times back then too and you’d have to hunt for your supper. So much for zapping your leftovers in a microwave, eh?
It’s my belief that people should eat what they want. We’re all going to kick the bucket someday that’s the sad reality. However, I don’t see these health experts finding some magic elixir to extend a person’s lifespan or keep them healthy and young for eternity.
Everyday I either see or hear commercials for this vaccine, pill or patch that may ‘prevent’ certain types of (______) fill in the blank with your own chronic illness, disease, virus, condition of the mind and body. They promise to help reduce the risk of (whatever), clear up acne in trial studies, But the risk factors include developing certain types of cancers, an increased likelihood you might contract Tuberculosis, Hepatitis A, B, and C, catch fungal infections, suffer abdominal pain, bloating, etc. And the side effects can include upset stomach, suicidal thoughts and actions, unsafe drop in blood pressure, dizziness, sweating, weight gain (or loss), irregular heart beat, swelling of the lips, tongue and throat (which can be life-threatening), loss of libido, increased risk of developing Osteoporosis (thinning and weakening of the bones), hair loss, loss of appetite and/ or extreme thirst and the list goes on and on.
I made a promise to myself years ago that I would take extremely good care of my health, eat right, take good care of my oral health as well (I’m a strong proponent on brushing and flossing after meals and snacks no matter what). I’ve done all that and continue to exercise regularly as well and thankfully am healthy as they come. I have no need or want to hop on the Big Pharma bandwagon all because I live in a media-driven society that’s trying to desperately dictate how we should live. I’ll form my own conclusions, live my life and decide what I put into my body. And oh yes, always ask questions! But going back to the meat and cancer risk articles… only time will tell what crap they’ll heap on us next. Thanks for liking, sharing, re-blogging, tweeting, commenting. I sincerely appreciate it. 🙂
zippymouse1923 