Eating meat could actually help Brits fight cancer, bombshell study claims

Eating more meat could actually be good for you after a bombshell new study claims it could help the body fight cancer – and not trigger it. Despite red meat being a good source of protein and vitamins for years health authorities have warned against it with the World Health Organization(WHO)’s cancer research arm classifying it as “probably carcinogenic to humans”. 

But now a controversial new study from Canada’s McMaster University suggests animal protein might in fact protect against cancer deaths – rather than cause them. Researchers analysed data from 16,000 adults, aged 19 and older, on how much animal and plant protein they ate and whether these diets were associated with a risk of dying from causes such as heart disease and cancer.

The results not only revealed no associations between animal or plant protein and the risk of death from any cause – but they showed a “modest but significant reduction” in cancer-related mortality. 

The university said of the study, published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism: “Combined with decades of clinical trial evidence, the findings support the inclusion of animal proteins as part of a healthy dietary pattern.” 

Research supervisor Stuart Phillips, professor and chair of the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University, said: “There’s a lot of confusion around protein – how much to eat, what kind and what it means for long-term health. 

“This study adds clarity, which is important for anyone trying to make informed, evidence-based decisions about what they eat.” 

To ensure reliable results, the team employed “advanced statistical methods to estimate long-term dietary intake and minimize measurement error.”   

Professor Phillips added: “It was imperative that our analysis used the most rigorous, gold standard methods to assess usual intake and mortality risk. 

“These methods allowed us to account for fluctuations in daily protein intake and provide a more accurate picture of long-term eating habits.”

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the WHO, has long classified red meat, including beef, pork, lamb and mutton, as probably carcinogenic. 

And processed meats such as bacon and sausages are classified as definite carcinogens. This judgment reflects multiple studies linking red meat to colorectal cancer, forming the basis of dietary advice to limit intake. 

But McMaster University researchers found no associations between total protein, animal protein or plant protein and risk of death from any cause, cardiovascular disease, or cancer. 

When both plant and animal protein were included in the analysis, the results remained consistent, suggesting that plant protein has a minimal impact on cancer mortality, while animal protein may offer a small protective effect. 

However rather than examining red meat specifically, the researchers analysed consumption of “animal protein” that also includes poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products – and did not differentiate between ‘meat’ and ‘processed meat’. 

Writing in The Conversation on the study, Kingston University’s Ahmed Elbediwy – Senior Lecturer in Cancer Biology – and Nadine Wehida – Senior Lecturer in Genetics and Molecular Biology – stressed that processed meats such as bacon, sausages and deli meats consistently show higher cancer risks than fresh, unprocessed cuts – so the study’s conclusions should not be seen as a green light for unlimited meat eating. 

This research was funded by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. But McMaster said NCBA was not involved in the study design, data collection and analysis or publication of the findings.  

The study’s lead researcher Yanni Papanikolaou, president of Nutritional Strategies, stressed when both observational data and clinical research are considered, “it’s clear that both animal and plant protein foods promote health and longevity.”