BBQ Red Meat Kidney Cancer Link: What Else Is Linked To Cancer?

If you like to BBQ red meat, kidney cancer might be in your future. That is the finding of a new study, according to FOX News. A team at the University of Texas’ MD Anderson Cancer Centre, led by Dr. Xifeng Wu, conducted the study that looked at 659 patients that were recently diagnosed with a form of kidney cancer.

Their research discovered that those with a genetic predisposition that ate a large amount of red meat grilled or cooked over an open flame increased their risk of getting kidney cancer during their lifetime.

The Post shared their findings.

“A meat-rich diet may increase the risk of developing kidney cancer through mechanisms related to particular cooking compounds. Our study provides additional evidence for the role of red meat and white meat in RCC etiology. Reducing consumption of meat, especially when cooked at high temperatures or over an open flame, might serve as a public health intervention to reduce the risk of developing RCC.”

Why is the risk increased? When meat is grilled, pan-fried, or barbecued, cancer-causing chemicals are released into the air. Exposure to these chemicals can increase the risk of cancer.

@Leigh_Ann_Casey @Pilotwife0360 BBQ venison roast. I don’t eat much red meat but can’t resist pic.twitter.com/NMMtIHoFiI

— Wendy Bruchal (@WBruchal) September 16, 2015

This is the second study in recent weeks that has linked cancer to meat consumption. According to Live Science, the World Health Organization released a study last month that linked the consumption of processed and red meat to cancer. The study determined that eating “processed meat can cause colorectal cancer in people.” Processed meats include bacon, hot dogs, salami, and sausage. Xpose.ie shared the details of the study conducted by the World Health Organization.

“The new study is one of the biggest of its kind and appears to back this up, with 500,000 middle-aged men and women involved. Each had completed a questionnaire, detailing their meat intake, and they were tracked between 2006 and 2010. During those four years 1,503 developed bowel cancer, and it was discovered that people who consumed red or processed meat four times a week were 42 per cent more likely to get the disease than those who either didn’t have any or ate it only once a week. Even people who only had it twice a week saw their risk level increase by 18 per cent when compared to vegetarians.”

The study also linked red meat to cancer as well. The Live Science report shared, “After reviewing data from more than 800 studies that looked at the link between the consumption of red meat or processed meat and the risk of certain cancers, the panel of 22 scientists categorized red meat as probably causing cancer.” Colorectal cancer is not the only type of cancer mentioned in the study. The research also states that red and processed meat consumption can increase the risk for stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer.

BBQ more than just red meat. Learn about diet & #CancerRisk at #MyCancerIQ: http://t.co/LMPSrjwZl0 pic.twitter.com/KzeOc3x5Uy

— Cancer Care Ontario (@CancerCare_ON) August 25, 2015

All of this research makes it sound like a diet high in red meat can actually kill you someday. However, other recent research has connected other things to cancer as well.

The Telegraph reported last week that cooking in vegetable oil can also increase the risk for cancer in individuals. This means that frying your food in oils like corn oil and sunflower oil can cause cancer. When used in frying, the oils release a toxic chemical that causes cancer when exposed to it over time. The release of these aldehydes has also been linked to heart disease and dementia. The study also revealed that frying foods using butter, olive oil and lard produced lower levels of this chemical.

Professor John Stein from Oxford also spoke about the additional risks of using vegetable oils in your cooking to your mental health.

“[As a result of corn and sunflower oils,] the human brain is changing in a way that is as serious as climate change threatens to be. If you eat too much corn oil or sunflower oil, the brain is absorbing too much omega 6, and that effectively forces out omega 3. I believe the lack of omega 3 is a powerful contributory factor to such problems as increasing mental health issues and other problems such as dyslexia.”

New research is done constantly. With the advances in technology, scientists are able to look into more and more things, and their research can give people the knowledge they need to make rise decisions about their diet.

Do studies like the one on red meat mean you need to change your diet completely? Not really? As with anything in life, research like the studies mentioned in this article show that moderation and balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables can decrease the risk.

Will studies like this make you stop eating red meat? Will you think twice about throwing that steak or burger on the grill the next time you want to barbeque?

[Image via Shutterstock]