How did the meat industry, government, and cancer organizations respond to the confirmation that processed meats, such as bacon, ham, hot dogs, and luncheon meat, cause cancer?
“It is rare in the history of nations that one finds good reasons to respect the generosity and dedication of governments and those in charge: the birth of the International Agency for Research on Cancer. [IARC] presents one of those rare events.” It all started with one letter from a grieving husband, talking about his wife’s suffering after being diagnosed with cancer, which went into an open letter asking governments to use 1% of their military budgets to fight. life by attacking one of the greatest plagues that survives humanity. And 18 months later, IARC was born into the World Health Organization. What was its main motive? Cancer prevention.
As I discuss in my video, IARC: Processed Meats Like Bacon Cause Cancerthe IARC is best known for its monographs, book-sized reports that examine whether a particular suspected carcinogen actually causes cancer. They are “generally accepted as close to the last word” as to whether or not something causes cancer. And its 114th monograph, published in 2018, focuses on meat. After analyzing more than 800 different studies and carefully reviewing the scientific literature, a group of 22 experts from 10 countries concluded their 500-page report by saying, “The consumption of red meat is dangerous. probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A).” But processed meat was classified as a Group 1 Carcinogen, the highest level of certainty, which means that according to the best available evidence, the consumption of processed meat causes cancer.
So, that means that foods like bacon cause cancer. Ham, hot dogs, breakfast links, and lunch meats cause cancer. But its definition includes, for example, turkey deli slices. In particular, eating processed meat causes colorectal cancer, colon or rectal cancer, which is the second deadliest cancer worldwide, after lung cancer, which is mainly caused by smoking. “Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the US,” and, it doesn’t just strike the elderly. It is also the leading cause of cancer and cancer-related deaths before in life.
The meat industry was not happy, calling it “a shocking and shocking overreach.” Speaking of shocking and shocking exploitation, an agricultural group in Italy sent a press release: You don’t just mean terrorism in the flesh.
The gloves were off. The meat industry in Canada tried to pressure the government to cut funding to IARC, asking the Minister of Health to withdraw all funding from the organization after it dared to question the meat. The US meat industry is doing the same. Not surprisingly, the IARC is “besieged by corporate interests” trying to challenge its cancer testing of Monsanto’s Roundup pesticide and meat, discrediting the agency, and undermining financial support. For example, internal documents revealed Monsanto scientists “disregarding ‘ghostwriting’ scientific papers and suppressing science that contradicts the company’s assertions about the safety of Roundup.”
The chemical industry joined the corporate cacophony, calling the IARC monographs “dubious and misleading.” These are classic tricks straight out of the tobacco industry’s playbook. “But there is little to suggest that, as a corporate character, ‘Big Tobacco’ is very different from, eg, ‘Big Booze’ or ‘Big Food.'”
One talking point that comes up regularly is that the IARC has never met a carcinogen it doesn’t like. But most end up being categorized as possibly carcinogenic to humans, or there really isn’t enough data to make a decision either way, as you can see below and at 4:20 in mine. video.
The agency only spends time looking at substances for which there is already “an existing body of scientific literature indicating a level of carcinogenic risk to humans.” Therefore, it is not surprising that many of them end up being carcinogenic.
How has IARC responded to all the criticism? The World Health Organization has received questions, concerns, and requests for clarification following the publication of its meat and cancer report. It basically answered: Well, we’re never telling anyone to stop eating processed meat—your body, your choice. A report recently revealed that eating less of these products can reduce the risk of the leading cancer killer. So, you like cancer? You do it yourself.
IARC is just a research organization that examines the evidence on what causes cancer; after that, what you do with that information is up to you. The American Cancer Society was nice and clear when it came to alcohol. When it comes to cancer, “it is better not to drink alcohol.” But the agency found less cravings for processed meats, suggesting people can limit their intake. The European Commission was a little clearer. To reduce the risk of cancer, we should eat a lot of grains, cereals (beans, peas, peas, and lentils), fruits, and vegetables; reduce sugary, fatty, salty foods; and specifically avoid soda, sausages, and other processed meats. After all, in response to the question of how much meat is safe to eat, the IARC responded that there is no known safe level, period.
Doctor’s Note
So, How Cancerous Is Processed Meat? That video is coming next.
And, it’s not just cancer. For example, look Effects of Processed Meat on Lung Function.
I have previously covered Monsanto and the Roundup pesticide (now owned by Bayer), see related posts below.
