Processed meat, red meat and cancer
3 important questions to consider - In light of the findings from the World Health Organisation, should we be worried about how much red meat we eat? Australians should be confident that red meat remains an important component of a healthy balanced diet.
Red meat provides an important source not only of protein but also iron, zinc and vitamin B12.'
The report doesn’t show any causal link between red meat consumption and cancer in general. While a small but statistically significant increased risk of developing colon cancer has been observed amongst the highest consumers of red meat, other factors may modify this risk. For example obesity, smoking and lack of exercise increase the risk of colon cancer.