Billions of drugs have been put on the market for less carcinogenic contamination than found in one serving of grilled chicken.
In 2018, one of the best-selling blood pressure drugs, valsartan—sold as Diovan—was found to be contaminated with a “probably carcinogenic” nitrosamine known as N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). It is believed that about 20 million people worldwide have been given medicine contaminated with this contaminant, which has a cancer risk that has been shown to exceed that of many known carcinogens, such as asbestos, PCBs, and benzos.[a]pyrene.
As I discuss in my video Cancer-Causing NDMA in Drugs (Zantac, Metformin) and MeatThe US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that taking the drug for a few years may cause cancer in as many as 1 in 8,000 people, while the European equivalent of the FDA estimates that the cancer risk can be as high as 1 in 5,000. It is unlikely, the researchers wrote in this 2019 paper, that drugs like valsartan are “a unique case.” And indeed, a few months later, the FDA announced that it had found NDMA in ranitidine. Ranitidine, an acid reflux drug sold as Zantac, is one of the most prescribed drugs in the world, over the counter.
Then in 2020, metformin, a popular diabetes drug sold as Glucophage, was found to be contaminated. The discovery of NDMA in common medications led the FDA to request the immediate withdrawal of all Zantac from store shelves, removing the drug from the market because its tests showed levels of NDMA, in some cases, could exceed the acceptable daily dietary limit of 96 nanograms per day. It was so bad that the FDA found the levels of these carcinogenic contaminants in Zantac to be similar to the exposure levels you would get from eating grilled or smoked meat!
Wait, what?
NDMA is not only found in adulterated drugs. It is a known byproduct of tire crops, pesticide manufacturing, and tanning, and is found in foods and beverages, including processed meats and beer. Now that we know that NDMA can cross the placenta, this may explain the relationship between maternal consumption of cured meats during pregnancy and the risk of brain tumors in children. For example, eating hot dogs while pregnant may increase the risk of a baby’s brain tumor by 33%, and sausages by 44%. Bacon consumption may increase a child’s chance of developing a brain tumor by 60 or 70%. But it’s not just minced meat. Researchers have also found it in chicken products. A single serving of chicken contains over 100 nanograms of NDMA, as you can see below and at 3:02 in mine. video.
Remember how the FDA said the acceptable daily intake limit is 96 nanograms? Just half a chicken breast contains 110 nanograms.
Now, raw chicken does not contain NDMA; it comes from cooking. In fact, cooking meat with dry heat, such as broiling or grilling, to create airborne NDMA, releases this highly carcinogenic compound into the air. So, even if you get a salad from a charcoal grill restaurant, just sitting in the house where the meat is grilled can be a great risk for cancer.
Nitrosamines are also found in cigarette smoke, and pressure was put on the tobacco industry to try to remove them, arguing that “there is no rational reason why an extractable carcinogen should be allowed to remain in a consumer product…” That’s why Zantac was pulled from store shelves.
Okay, so let’s get this straight. Zantac—one of the best-selling drugs in history, bringing in billions of dollars—was pulled from the market because it contained a carcinogen that may have exceeded the acceptable daily limit, but could there be more contamination in one serving of chicken?! So, my question is: Why don’t they take chickens off the shelves, too?
Doctor’s Note
NDMA is a nitrosamine, a class of carcinogens also found in processed meats. See, for example, How Much Cancer Does Luncheon Meat Cause?.
How can you make meat not to cause cancer? Look Carcinogens in meat.
Is Organic Meat Less Carcinogenic? Check out the video to find out.
Note: Title shown at minute 1:04 of video My reference has since been retracted due to an analysis artifact.
