Cut your colorectal risk by reducing the amount of red meat you eat

Eat less red meat

Some experts believe you can cut your colorectal risk in half just by reducing the amount of red meat you eat to one serving a day. How does this help protect the body? Experts aren’t sure yet but some think it has something to do with undigested fat in the colon producing extra cancer-causing compounds.

We also know that red meat is often high in saturated fat, which promotes tumors in the large intestine. If meat is cooked over high heat until charred, harmful chemicals form, and they are deposited back into the meat on the barbecue via rising smoke. (Furthermore, if we eat a lot of red meat, we are also not likely to be eating protective plant foods.)

Red meat does not contain the more desirable omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids. In fact, red meat contains arachidonic acid. Too much of this fatty acid is thought to form prostalandin E2, which can act as a cancer promoter.

Excess iron is another possible connection. Red meat includes high amounts of iron. You were probably told to eat lots of it if you were anemic during a pregnancy. Recent studies have found a link between high levels of iron (in blood and in the food subjects ate) and colon cancer. Too much iron is never a good idea because it’s a mineral.

Our bodies can’t get rid of any extra we could be taking in. Experts suspect that too much iron may increase the formation of free radicals. More free radicals mean more chance of damage to the body’s DNA, which can lead to the development of some cancers.

Red meat is also high in protein. Some researchers have found links between high-protein diets and increased cancer risk. Right now, research is going on to find out how protein, fat, or a combination of the two might be linked to cancer risk.

Trading beef for beans

The typical American diet is focused on meat. But in some countries, like India and Mexico, beans appear daily in the traditional dishes people like to eat. My daughters love to eat Mexican beans and rice with dinner and they love chili too. I don’t think Americans avoid beans on purpose, we just haven’t gotten into the bean habit. Believe me the health benefits are there.

Beans (legumes) are high in protein, folate, and dietary fiber. They are low in fat, and full of helpful phytochemicals. Kidney beans are one of the top plant sources of one of the omega-3 fatty acids.

When you do eat red meat…

Depending on where in this country you live, red meat could be the mainstay of almost every meal. Eating it less often is going to take some major motivation. That’s what the following “tips to take home” will help you with. But what can we do when we do eat red meat to keep it as healthful as possible?

1. Cook it the lean way

Trim off any visible fat from the meat before cooking. If it is a fattier cut of meat, you can then cook it on a rack so the fat drips away from the meat.
Choose less fatty (or marbled) cuts of meat like the round, shank, tenderloin or sirloin in beef, or the center or tenderloin of pork.
Cook your meat with a minimum of added fat. Try to avoid saturated fat, such as: shortening, butter, or the omega-6 vegetable oils (corn, safflower, and sunflower). If you do need to use some fat, switch to olive or canola oil if possible.
When using a leaner cut, cooking it over low heat for a long period of time can be a great way to tenderize it. Cooking in a slow cooker works wonders. Roasting can also work well.

2. Eat smaller portions

A healthful serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards or about three ounces of boneless, cooked meat (four ounces before cooking). This is the size of a quarter pound hamburger patty. Some people may laugh at this amount, thinking: “I’m just getting started.” That’s why this could very well be the toughest food step for some people out there who have gotten into the blissful habit of eating huge meat servings.
Eat more of the other meal components (fruits, vegetables, whole grains) to fill up on instead of the meat.
Certain cuisine and recipes (pasta with meat sauce, beef and vegetable stir fry over rice, beef or pork chili with beans served with corn bread) normally use smaller amounts of meat. Meat is one of many ingredients in the dish instead of the main event. Try to enjoy these dishes more often.

Tips to take home:

Don’t go sitting down once a day to a 12-ounce steak. A serving of red meat is considered to be three ounces of cooked meat (the size of a deck of cards).
Gravitate toward meat recipes that use meat as a garnish or one ingredient of many rather than meat as the main event. Certain Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, African, and Mexican dishes are more likely to do this.
Poultry and fish are good substitutes for red meat. Start trying and collecting fish and poultry recipes that are moderate in fat and call for canola or olive oil.
Canned beans taste great, and they make cooking with beans a lot easier. Add canned beans to soups, stews, and all kinds of salads.
A couple of times a week, substitute bean-based dishes (like bean burritos, rice and beans, mostly-bean chili, lentil soup) for dishes with lots of meat.
Don’t cook dried beans in the same water you soaked them in (to minimize gaseous side effects). And if eating beans is uncomfortable for you, try the enzyme products available, like Beano or Say Yes To Beans, which help digest the fiber in beans so it doesn’t cause problems for you.
Drink at least eight cups of water a day. Red meat tips
Remove all visible fat before cooking meat (less to drip down onto the coals).
Place a lid on the grill to moderate the cooking temperature.
Partially precook the meat (microwave, bake, or broil), then finish cooking on the grill (this will reduce the meat’s exposure to the heat).
Avoid using mesquite, as soft wood produces extremely high heat.
If the dripping fat creates smoke, reduce the heat. And do not eat the charred part of the meat.
Nitrates used to cure meats can convert into carcinogenic nitrosamines in the stomach. Adding vitamin C to cured meat controls the production of these carcinogens.

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