Source:  Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 9/9/10

A new review of available epidemiologic prospective studies of red meat consumption and incidence of colorectal cancer shows no independent positive association between the two.

The “comprehensive review,” by researchers at Exponent Inc. Health Sciences, a scientific and engineering consulting firm based in Menlo Park, Calif., looked at 35 studies conducted over the past three decades, synthesizing the demographic, methodological and analytic information. They found that “the possible role of this food group on carcinogenesis is equivocal,” the authors wrote in a summary of the research.

The study is being published in “Obesity Reviews,” the official reviews journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity. It was partially funded by the Beef Checkoff and the Danish Agriculture & Food Council, “however, these organizations did not contribute to the writing, analysis or interpretation of research findings,” the researchers said.

Associations between red meat consumption and colorectal cancer are “generally weak in magnitude” and “not statistically significant,” according to the summary. Factors such as the tumor location, gender, other elements of the diet and behavior “limit the ability to analytically isolate the independent effects of red meat consumption.”

They concluded: “Because of these factors, the currently available epidemiologic evidence is not sufficient to support an independent positive association between red meat consumption and colorectal cancer.”

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