I am sorry, but this is not supporting evidence for veganism, folks. If red meat is bad for your health, fish and turkey are supposedly good for it. Not helpful!
"To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana." - Buddha
'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'
I for one am glad you did post it Gorilla - I'm interested in reading that sort of stuff, whether it supports veganism or not. The truth will set us free, eventually
it's another arrow in our quiver I say. Another bit of evidence (whether or not the study is worth it's salt is another matter) for an aspect of omni living being bad for their health and the environment.
now off I go for some yummy vegan food
If I sink to the bottom I can run to the shore.
It caught the attention of one of my workmates anyway who forwarded a link to me and a couple of other workmates with the title 'Maybe Jenny is on to something'. He was only half serious and I very much doubt he'll stop eating meat but I'm sure it all helps on some level...
(I'm Jenny by the way - otherwise the post might not make sense!)
As for me I know that being a vegan has prevented me from being hit by cars and attacked by mountain lions countless times. Oh the benefits I reap from my dietary choices!
pro-vegetable
Or rather, more findings from one of the ones that we already know about - EPIC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8127215.stm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/he...cientists.html
...and a lot more reports if you Google.
Interestingly fish-eaters don't do as well as vegetarians in some areas. They don't seem to report vegans separately, at least not in the articles I've looked at so far.
They probably don't know the difference. lol
The papers may not, but the EPIC people certainly do! http://www.epic-oxford.org/?q=vegans
It would be interesting to find out the rates of cancer among vegans
You can read the whole journal article here free:
http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v1.../6605098a.html
There is not much about vegans though there is a bit that says "The role of diet in the aetiology of prostate cancer is poorly understood; there is some evidence that high intakes of dairy products might be associated with an increase in risk (Chan et al, 2005), but to explore this hypothesis further in our data we would need to examine the cancer rates among vegans, among whom there are currently too few cancers to be informative."
it's probably more to do with the fact that there are relatively few vegans about, than vegans not getting cancer.
I'm sure they could recruit enough vegans to do a study - I'd volunteer
Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty!
Consumption of Smoked and Cured Meat Linked to Leukemia
February 6. 2009
A new study shows that consumption of cured and smoked meat and fish is correlated to the risk of leukemia, the most common form of cancer in children, while higher consumption of vegetables and bean-curd is associated with reduced risk. This population-based study in Taiwan compared 145 acute leukemia cases to 370 matched controls, ages 2 to 20 years old. A suggested reason for the increased risk is the formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds in the stomach upon consumption of smoked and cured meats.
Study/Research Reference: Liu C, Hsu Y, Wu M, et al. Cured meat, vegetables, and bean-curd foods in relation to childhood acute leukemia risk: A population based case-control study. BMC Cancer 2009;9:15. doi:10.1186/1471-2407-9-15.
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
Meat Consumption Increases Risk of Breast Cancer
January 9 2008
A substudy of the Diet, Cancer and Health study, a prospective cohort study established to evaluate the role of diet and cancer among 24,697 postmenopausal Danish women, was set up to evaluate the relationship between meat consumption and risk of breast cancer. This nested study looked at 378 women who developed breast cancer and matched them to controls who did not develop breast cancer.
A higher intake of meat (red meat, poultry, fish, and processed meat) was associated with a significantly higher breast cancer incidence rate. Every 25 gram increase in consumption of total meat, red meat, and processed meat led to a 9, 15, and 23 percent increase in risk of breast cancer, respectively. However, the degree of risk may depend on genetics. Certain genes activate the carcinogens (heterocyclic amines) found in cooked meat. The study showed women with genes that rapidly activate these carcinogens are at particular risk of breast cancer if they eat meat.
Study/Research Reference: Egeberg R, Olsen A, Autrup H, et al. Meat consumption, N-acetyl transferase 1 and 2 polymorphism and risk of breast cancer in Danish postmenopausal women. Eur J Canc Prev. 2008;17:39-47.
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
Extensive coverage of study linking meat consumption (in large quantities and/or "well-done") to increased risk of bladder cancer, e.g.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8629358.stm
High Meat Consumption Linked to Heightened Cancer Risk (2007)This is the largest study to look at the effect of red and processed meat on multiple cancer sites, including rarer cancers, such as laryngeal and liver cancer, and here's what they found:
For The Love Of Your Liver, Cut Down On Red Meat(2010)Overall, the researchers found elevated risks for colorectal and lung cancer with high consumption of both meat types along with borderline higher risks for advanced prostate cancer. High red meat intake was also associated with increased risk of esophageal and liver and a borderline increased risk for laryngeal cancer. And high processed meat consumption also was associated with borderline increased risk for bladder cancer and myeloma, a kind of bone cancer.
In addition, both red meat and processed meat consumption were associated with increased pancreatic cancer risk in men, but not women.
After adjusting for a variety of lifestyle factors and pre-existing health status, the study found that high intakes of red meat (about 4.5oz per day on a 2,000 calorie per day diet) to be associated with a 2.6 times greater risk of death from liver disease and a 1.7 times greater risk of developing liver cancer comapred to low intakes of red meat (less than 1 oz per day on a 2,000 calorie per day diet).
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
Consumption of different types of meat and the risk of renal cancer: meta-analysis of case-control studies. (2007)
Meat increases kidney cancer risk(2009)CONCLUSIONS: Increased consumption of all meat, red meat, poultry, and processed meat is associated with an increase risk of kidney cancer. Reduction of meat consumption is an important approach to decreasing the incidence of kidney cancer in the general population.
The researchers concluded that meat consumption increased the risk of renal cell carcinoma and vegetables provided the protective effect. However, fruits and dairy products had no such relationship.
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
Consumption of animal foods and endometrial cancer risk: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis(2007)
Endometrial Cancer: Nutritional ConsiderationsAbstract
This article summarizes and quantifies the current evidence relating dietary intake of animal products and endometrial cancer. Literature searches were conducted to identify peer-reviewed manuscripts published up to December 2006. Twenty-two manuscripts from three cohort studies and 16 case-control studies were identified. One of these cohort studies evaluated only fried meat and another only milk consumption; they were not included in our meta-analyses. The third cohort study identified did not present exposure levels and could not be included in dose-response meta-analysis. This cohort study did not show an association with meat or red meat consumption. Random-effects dose-response summary estimates for case-control studies evaluating these foods were 1.26 (95% CI: 1.03-1.54) per 100 g/day of total meat, 1.51 (95% CI: 1.19-1.93) per 100 g/day of red meat, 1.03 (95% CI: 0.32-3.28) per 100 g/day of poultry, 1.04 (95% CI: 0.55-1.98) per 100 g/day of fish, and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.93-1.01) per serving of dairy. Our meta-analysis, based on case-control data, suggests that meat consumption, particularly red meat, increases endometrial cancer risk. The current literature does not support an association with dairy products, while the evidence is inconsistent for poultry, fish, and eggs. More studies, particularly prospective studies, are needed.
As with many cancers, the risk for uterine cancers appears to be associated with greater intakes of foods found in Western diets (animal products, refined carbohydrates). Risk seems to be lower among women whose diets are high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. The lower risk in persons eating plant-based diets may be related to a reduced amount of free hormones circulating in the blood or to a protective effect of micronutrients found in these diets.
The following factors are under study for possible protective effects:
Eating less meat and fat. Studies found a 50% greater risk for endometrial cancer among women who consumed the greatest amount of processed meat and fish.5 Consumption of red meat and eggs is also associated with greater endometrial cancer risk.6
Higher intake of fat, particularly saturated fat, is associated with elevations of endometrial cancer risk on the order of 60% to 80%.6,7 Some evidence indicates that this association is due to the influence of dietary fat on adiposity and, consequently, on circulating estrogens.
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
Eating Bacon & Skinless Chicken May Cause Bladder Cancer (2006)
People who ate bacon five or more times per week increased their risk of developing bladder cancer by 60 percent
People who ate skinless chicken fives time or more per week increased their risk of developing bladder cancer by 52 percent
Researchers suggest that high levels of nitrosamines in bacon, and high levels of heterocyclic amines in bacon and skinless chicken are the most likely reasons for the strong link between eating these foods and risk of developing bladder cancer.
Interestingly, cooked chicken with skin tends to contain lower levels of heterocyclic amines compared to skinless chicken. This is most likely why the data from this study shows a strong association between cooked skinless chicken and bladder cancer, rather than between cooked chicken with skin and bladder cancer.
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
Malignant Neoplasms of the Small Intestine
More here:Diet: A 1977 study by Lowenfels and Sonni found animal fat intake to be correlated with small-bowel cancer.11 Another study, in 1993 by Chow et al, reported that consumption of red meat and salt-cured or smoked foods raised the risk of small-bowel cancer 2-3 times.12
Meat Linked to Small Intestine Cancer
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
Salted meat consumption as a risk factor for cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx: a case-control study from Uruguay(1994)
A hospital-based, case-control study of oropharyngeal cancer was conducted in the Oncology Institute, Montevideo, Uruguay, during 1988-1992, in which 246 new cases and 253 controls were interviewed. The study was restricted to males. As in most previous studies, tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking were the major risk factors. Past and current salted meat consumption was associated with increased risks of oropharyngeal cancer after controlling for the effects of tobacco and alcohol; current consumption was associated with a significant increase in risk (odds ratio, 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-5.2).
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
Diet and gallbladder cancer: a case-control study (2002)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12195163Cancer of the gallbladder is rare but fatal, and has an unusual geographic and demographic distribution. Gallstones and obesity have been suggested as possible risk factors. As diet is known to influence both these factors, we carried out the present study to evaluate the possible role of diet in gallbladder carcinogenesis. A case-control study involving 64 newly diagnosed cases of gallbladder cancer and 101 cases of gallstones was carried out. The dietary evaluation was carried out by the dietary recall method based on a preset questionnaire developed specifically for the present study, keeping in mind the common dietary habits prevailing in this part of the world. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for various dietary items. A significant reduction in odds ratio was seen with the consumption of radish (OR 0.4; 95% CI 0.17-0.94), green chilli (OR 0.45; 95% CI 0.21-0.94) and sweet potato (OR 0.33; 95% CI 0.13-0.83) among vegetables, and mango (OR 0.4; 95% CI 0.16-0.99), orange (OR; 0.45; 95% CI 0.22-0.93), melon (OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.14-0.64) and papaya (OR 0.44; 95% 0.2-0.64) among fruits. A reduction in odds was also seen with the consumption of cruciferous vegetables, beans, onion and turnip, however the difference was not statistically significant. On the other hand, an increase in the odds was observed with consumption of capsicum (OR 2.2), beef (OR 2.58), tea (OR 1.98), red chilli (OR 1.29) and mutton (OR 1.2), however the difference was statistically not significant. In conclusion, the results of the present study show a protective effect of vegetables and fruits on gallbladder carcinogenesis, but red meat (beef and mutton) was found to be associated with increased risk of gallbladder cancer.
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
http://www.duo.uio.no/sok/work.html?WORKID=65889 (Master degree from University of Oslo, 2007).
Background:
The relationship between meat consumption and cancer risk has been investigated in many studies, but the results have been inconclusive for several cancer sites. This master thesis represents a meta-analysis of meat consumption and risk of all types of cancers which had been investigated in a sufficient number of studies to be included. Methods: The analysis was conducted by first searching several databases for studies on meat consumption and cancer risk, from their inception to September, 2007. Relative risks, incidence rate ratios and odds ratios were pooled by use of a random-effects model.
Results: For all studies combined there was an increased risk of cancer of the lung, pancreas, liver, colorectum, breast, ovaries, endometrium, prostate and kidney with a high total meat intake. Higher intake of red meat was associated with increased risk of cancer of the mouth and pharynx, esophagus, lung, stomach, pancreas, colorectum, breast, endometrium, kidney and of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, while higher intake of processed meat was associated with cancer of the mouth and pharynx, nasopharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, colorectum, breast, prostate and adult and childhood brain cancer (maternal intake during pregnancy). In addition, several individual meat items were associated with increased risk of some types of cancer. For some sites and meat types there are some discrepancies between the results from case-control and cohort studies. Conclusion: More studies are needed, particularly large population-based case-control and cohort studies to confirm some of these findings and for those sites investigated by too few studies to date. However, for some of the most investigated sites, including breast, lung, esophagus, pancreas and stomach, it seems likely that reducing meat consumption will be an important goal in decreasing cancer risk. For colorectal cancer it seems very likely that reducing meat consumption will decrease the risk.
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
Dietary cured meat and the risk of adult glioma: A meta-analysis of Nine observational studies(2003)
Cured and broiled meat consumption in relation to childhood cancer: Denver, Colorado (United States) (1993)Sensitivity analyses showed that the failure of most studies to adjust for total energy intake might lead to a spurious positive association between cured meat intake and brain tumor risk. Insufficient data were available for analyzing dose-response relationships, although a few individual studies showed evidence of increasing risk with increasing cured meat intake. Conclusion: The available data do not provide clear support for the suspected causal association between ingestion of NOCs from cured meat in adults and subsequent brain tumor risk. Uncontrolled confounding may account for the previously noted positive association seen in some epidemiological studies.
http://epirev.oxfordjournals.org/con...2/382.full.pdf (1995)Maternal hot-dog consumption of one or more times per week was associated with childhood brain tumors (odds ratio [OR]=2.3, 95 percent confidence interval [CI]=1.0–5.4).
Among children, eating hamburgers one or more times per week was associated with risk of ALL (OR=2.0, CI=0.9–4.6) and eating hot dogs one or more times per week was associated with brain tumors (OR=2.1, CI=0.7–6.1).
Among children, the combination of no vitamins and eating meats was associated more strongly with both ALL and brain cancer than either no vitamins or meat consumption alone, producing ORs of two to seven.
The results linking hot dogs and brain tumors (replicating an earlier study) and the apparent synergism between no vitamins and meat consumption suggest a possible adverse effect of dietary nitrites and nitrosamines.
Epidemiologic studies that have addressed 7V-nitroso compounds as possible human neurocarcinogens have produced mixed and inconclusive results. Among adults, consumption of processed meats, particularly cooked ham, processed pork, and fried bacon, was positively associated with risk of glioma (242). Burch et al. (219) reported a positive association between the incidence of adult brain tumors and consumption of salted, pickled, and smoked fish, but not for consumption of processed meats. Giles et al. (243)
Giles et al. (243) reported several dietary associations that are compatible with the N-nitroso hypothesis (e.g., positive associations with bacon and other preserved meats), but also others that are at odds with it (positive associations with certain fruits and vitamin E). Furthermore, associations with consumption of preserved meats were seen only among men.For astrocytic tumors in children, associations with
consumption of cured meat by mothers appeared to
depend on household income and educational status of
the parents (246), which raises concern about possible
biases related to socioeconomic status and diet. Positive associations also were recorded for meats that do
not contain Af-nitroso compounds or high levels of
nitrite (248). Although this lack of specificity might be
attributable to some other causal factor, it also could
be due to differential recall or reporting by cases and
controls (or their proxies). Howe et al. (114) did not
observe an association between risk of childhood brain
tumors and consumption of cured meats by the childWhile it is possible that humans
respond differently from other mammalian species, the
descriptive epidemiology of brain tumors bears little in
common with that of esophageal or stomach cancer,
two other diseases for which nitrosamines have been
hypothesized to play a causal role (224). In the United
States, the nitrite content of cured meats has declined
in recent decades (70), which casts doubt on the likelihood that this exposure could explain the postulated
increase in brain tumor incidence. Overall, the evidence supporting an etiologic role for JV-nitroso compounds in general is not convincing. Certain specific
N-nitroso compounds, such as some alkylnitrosoureas,
might nonetheless prove to be important.
Other dietary factors
In addition to N-nitroso compounds and their precursors, dietary constituents of interest include fruits
and vegetables and the micronutrients vitamins C and
E, /3-carotene, and folate. Results from a number of
studies indicate that consumption of fruits and vegetables and of certain vitamins and carotenoids might
protect against a variety of cancers (251-253). Modulation of endogenous formation of A^-nitroso compounds is but one possible mechanism by which vitamins might act; their behavior as antioxidants also
might be involved (254)
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
Eating meat raises skin cancer risk (2007)
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,A diet rich in meat and fat increases the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin as compared to a diet rich in vegetables and fruit. Researchers from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane found that people who have a history of skin cancer, can benefit by avoiding fatty foods, overly processed foods, and foods with high amounts of sugar. They examined the dietary patterns of 1,360 people enrolled in a community-based skin cancer study. Using 38 food groups, they established two major dietary types: a meat and fat pattern and a vegetable and fruit pattern. The meat and fat pattern diet was found to significantly increase the risk of squamous cell carcinoma. The risk was especially high in subjects with a history of skin cancer and who had greatest consumption of meat and fat. Conversely, the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin appeared to be significantly reduced among those who had a high consumption of fruit and vegetables. However, the association with green leafy vegetables mostly explained this protective effect. No association was seen between dietary patterns and cutaneous basal cell carcinoma, another common form of skin cancer. The findings suggest that diet can reduce risk of skin cancer, as does staying out of the sun during the peak hours, and using sunscreen and protective clothing.
June 2007
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
Wouldn't it be great if along with the authors of the report on any competent research - you also had the names of the people that fund the research? If this was quite open it would give the reader a heads up about any prospective bias. Unfortunately I don't think any research is considered valid until it has been considered peer reviewed and confirmed by multiple sources. The chances of this happening for vegan topics would be minimal I think, firstly because there would not be enough sponsors and secondly because the majority of researchers would want their findings to be lauded and applauded by the maximum number of people possible to give them exposure that would guarantee more publicity and therefore more research funds.
even perfect isn't perfect - Rubyduby 4th July 08
I agree that if there are any sponsors involved, they certainly should be listed as well. There are lots of lobby activity out there.
There are some studies which also list if any of the involved have personal interests or work that could make them biased - eg. if they work for a company that manufacture supplements and post a study which concludes that such supplements are great.
In the case of this particular study, I'm not aware of such conflicts, but if you click on the icon next to where it says 'Author Affiliations', you'll get this list:
This extra information isn't usualle mentioned in articles about the study itself though - you have to go here to see that list.Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD (NDF, AJC, KAM, CCA, YP, AS, RS); AARP, Washington, DC (ARH); Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD (JEE)
In countries where education is free and University research is funded by governments, the main bias I think we'll see is that sometimes the researchers already think they know the answer, or try to confirm a viewpoint they already have. This means that even if the study itself is somehow straightforward, the results can be analyzed in many ways (as seen g. in this example).
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
IIRC peer-reviewed journals do usually include an acknowledgement of who has funded the research (it's in these guidelines for example http://www.uk.sagepub.com/repository...Guidelines.pdf), but of course those acknowledgements don't always make it into newspaper reports etc.
Fortunately, I agree.
In this section we have lots of studies confirming the link between intake of animal products and probably 20-30 different types of cancer. There will of course come studies with different conclusions, and in some of the cases, studies with conflicting conclusions already exist.
Nevertheless - although we often don't know what it is in animal products which causes the main risks, the link between cancer and animal products seem quite clear. And even if an 'association' between eg. animal products and cancer doesn't necessarily mean that eg. animal protein, animal fat, saturated fats or growth hormones or B12 in animal products are the direct cause of cancer, the most important role these studies have is to inspire more research.
The many existing reports seem to come from all over the world, from independent sources, and have materialized over a long period of time. AFAIK none of them have been funded by eg. vegan organizations. If we now have, say, 30-40 reports suggesting a link between 25 cancer types and animal products, this is a much higher amount of independent sources with similar conclusions than usually is considered necessary for concluding that (in this case) increased cancer risk should be seen as a very likely side effect of eating meat, particularly red meat
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
The findings suggest that diet can reduce risk of skin cancer, as does staying out of the sun during the peak hours, and using sunscreen and protective clothing.
So you can either stop eating meat or just stay out of the sun and use sun screen and protective clothing? Just imagining my commited omni husband saying this to me after looking at the conclusion.
even perfect isn't perfect - Rubyduby 4th July 08
Think it is just general consensus that meat based diets cause cancer...in a way, I have failed to find a single dietary study that hasn't come to the essential conclusion of meat + human = cancer (higher chance)/heart disease. Maybe God/evolution is trying to hint something...
Surely you can find 10 times as many research papers saying that meat in the diet is healthy? I am sure the meat marketing board would make sure of that!
even perfect isn't perfect - Rubyduby 4th July 08
Alcohol, tobacco, diet, mate drinking, and esophageal cancer in Argentina. (1994)
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1994;3:557-564. Published online October 1, 1994An increased risk was also observed for those eating barbecued meat more than once a week (odds ratio, 2.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-4.8) as compared to those eating it less than once a week, and a reduction in risk was associated with daily consumption of nonbarbecued beef as compared to those eating it less than daily.
American Association for Cancer Research
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
Nah doubtful anymore, after all the TV programs and such people are starting to get past that bullshit now I reckon. Anything that actively says that meat is healthier than a plant alternative people question a bit more at least here they do.
Meat contains many nutrients, and is therefore 'healthy' - if you ignore the increased risks of a number of diseases. But we know where the cows usually get their nutrients from.... plants!
Those who suggest that meat is healthy often refers to the protein levels in meat - but we know today that we don't need meat for 'complete proteins'. The same goes for iron and zinc. (And we already have a section dedicated to B12.)
The 'arguments' for meat aren't valid, and were never based on any proper, scientific evidence that humans need meat. We know today that we don't need meat, and even if meat contains nutrients, the health risks involved in consuming meat is getting more and more focus (many types of cancer, Alzheimer, reduced bone heath, arthritis, high cholesterol, food poisoning and much more).
If a product contains nutrients you can get elsewhere, but represent an increased health risk, it isn't healthy no matter what others say.
If you google this
google scholar meat
...you currently get 137,000 results. Take half an hour and see how many of these results which suggest that we actually need meat, or claims that meat does *not* increase risk of all those diseases.
Sun screen doesn't do anything for colon cancer or the 20-30 other types of cancer mentioned in these reports...So you can either stop eating meat or just stay out of the sun and use sun screen and protective clothing? Just imagining my commited omni husband saying this to me after looking at the conclusion.
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
Where is 'here'? I varely rarely watch television and I caught some last night - a big piece of meat surrounded by very few vegetables - I think it was pig - serve this to your family. Because of relentless adverts on popular media and also because people like what they know and they know meat - I think it will be a while before the vast majority even give it a second thought unfortunately. I know from my own experience the numbers of people going veggie are increasing which is a step in the right direction but somehow veganism can still be seen as extreme and weird and scarey etc. This is easy to see from the thread on this forum asking, 'why wern't you vegan before you were vegan'.
even perfect isn't perfect - Rubyduby 4th July 08
We know that it's common to eat meat, Vava, and that many or most meat eaters may feel that it's safe to eat it. There are lots of advertising for meat as well. But I guess you agree that this isn't a reason to not keep posting links to studies about all the health risks involved in eating meat?
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
I agree but the particular research paper we were discussing related only to one defined type of skin cancer and the conclusion didn't refer only to diet. I found that quite confusing and disappointing.
even perfect isn't perfect - Rubyduby 4th July 08
Yeah thats the point they cant say it is 'healthier' that plant based diets but they can say it is healthy because it has things the body needs but hell everything has something that the body can use. A leather shoe filled with baby rabbit fur probably has something healthy in it hehe
No I think it is a great idea to let us know about these studies - I am playing devils advocate here in order to provoke a discussion - I hope you don't think this is unacceptable? Vegans are all challenged on their chosen lifestyle and I think seeing a discussion develop here is a way of broadening vegan ideas that can be used as 'verbal ammunition' in daily conversations where challenges arise. If you think it is unacceptable or that it sounds too trollish then let me know and I will stop. I do KNOW however that you Korn will have an adequate answer to everything that I question. Hope I don't sound sucky here but my experience of you through your posts indicates that you are obviously a knowledgeable person and I don't think at this vegan dinner party it is unacceptable to draw you out. Let me know your thoughts. :0)
even perfect isn't perfect - Rubyduby 4th July 08
We need the devil's advocate approach as well! Not only will arguments that oppose some of these findings pop up anyway, but most likely, we'll see that some of these reports will be found invalid (wrong conclusions, not enough data etc), or that further studies are needed. One main idea by posting all this stuff in a forum rather than just starting a site listing them is to encourage discussion and more research, invite people to post more info and so on. So - thanks, Vava - it's good to bring all viewpoints into consideration. Comments from devil's advocates and their omnivorous partners is absolutely welcome.No I think it is a great idea to let us know about these studies - I am playing devils advocate here in order to provoke a discussion - I hope you don't think this is unacceptable?
If I were a meat eater, I'd be a lot more disappointed by the findings in all the studies - which somehow suggest that I would be a lot better off not eating meat - than with details re. how the reports/abstracts were written. But in the case of the skin cancer report, they surely could have written "The findings suggest that reduced intake of meat and increased intake of vegetable and fruits diet can reduce risk of one common type of skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma), but no association was seen between dietary patterns and cutaneous basal cell carcinoma, another common form of skin cancer". That would be more accurate than the part saying "The findings suggest that diet can reduce risk of skin cancer" - which is a short summary of the abstract, which again is a short summary of the whole report.
As a meat eater I'd be a lot more frustrated reading that I'm eating something which may shorten my life than how they wrote that. But from my experience, meat eaters - when challenged - often try to find 'holes' in the research supporting a plant based diet or reduction of animal product consumption. It's almost like they continue doing something - for years - which they know may be a very bad idea, in the hope that some of these findings are proven wrong. They certainly don't like to be reminded that when they eat meat, they'll eat less plant food, meaning that whether the problem is too low intake of plant food or too high intake of animal foods, the real life problem is the same.
Most reports discuss only one type of cancer, and a report about esophageal cancer, for instance, may specify that their findings relate to one certain part of the esophagus. Also - even if they know that cancer may be a result of many factors (diet, genetic reasons and more), studies like this usually focus on one of the possible causes only - in this case diet. This doesn't mean that other factors (eg. too much sunlight) also play an important role.
Based on the massive amount of reports out there, it seems to be a much higher than 50% likelihood that these reports generally are valid. I think they key ingredient in keep fooling oneself into doing something which isn't good is the time aspect of it all. They know that they won't become ill immediately if they eat a burger, so they keep doing it - in some cases until it's too late.
Good point, and I also wonder when the main vegan organizations/sites start to give all these studies the focus they deserve. Even if many studies reports mainly call for further studies, and even if some of these studies come to plain wrong conclusions or interpretations, the results so far clearly suggest that there's enough studies out there to make meat eaters worry for a good reason. Incomplete studies should be replaced by better research, and there's no reason not to try to inspire more research on these topics right now.Wondering how long it will be and how many pieces of research will need to be carried out before the mainstream think about the correlation between cancers and animal products.
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
Perhaps some of the researchers could try the Obama approach to funding - they may be surprised by the amount of support such a fund would garner! Or is that just me being optimistic?
even perfect isn't perfect - Rubyduby 4th July 08
Thanks for posting this - I mentioned it to a die-hard omnivore friend after she said that she had the beginnings of cataracts and she seemed quite interested, so I've sent her the abstract. You never know, miracles can happen!
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