Red and Processed Meat and Cancer

Eating red and processed meat has been linked to an increased risk of cancer. Learn more about how these foods might increase your risk of cancer and what you can eat instead of red and processed meat.

What are red and processed meat?

Red meat includes beef, pork, veal, lamb, mutton, and goat. These meats might be fresh, ground, or frozen. Red meat is a probable carcinogen.

Processed meat has been treated through smoking, curing, salting, or fermentation. This includes bacon, ham, deli meat, sausage, and hot dogs. Processed meat is a known carcinogen.

Carcinogens are things that can cause cancer.

Do red and processed meat cause cancer?

Eating red and processed meat is linked to a higher risk of colorectal cancer. These meats may also increase the risk of breast, pancreatic, prostate, and stomach cancer, but more research is needed.

Red meat has heme iron, which has been shown to increase the risk of DNA damage and cancer. The risk of cancer may increase further when red meat is cooked at a high temperature, like grilling, frying, or broiling. These cooking methods create compounds found to cause DNA changes in lab studies. Processed meat contains nitrates and nitrites which, can damage DNA in cells and lead to increased cancer risk.

Both red and processed meat are high in saturated fats. Eating a lot of saturated fat can cause chronic inflammation and increase your risk of cancer. It can also increase your risk of having excess body weight, which can heighten your risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.

How much red and processed meat can I safely eat?

It is not known if any amount of red or processed meat can be eaten without increasing your risk of cancer.

The American Cancer Society guideline recommends choosing proteins like poultry, fish, or plant-based proteins instead of red meat most of the time. It’s best to avoid processed meat. If you do choose to eat processed meat, you are encouraged to do so sparingly.

The American Institute for Cancer Research and the American Society of Clinical Oncology recommend avoiding all processed meat and eating no more than 18 ounces (3 – 4 servings) of red meat each week to reduce cancer risk.

What can I eat instead of red and processed meat?

There are many sources of protein that can be eaten instead of red and processed meat. Some good options are:

• Poultry, such as chicken and turkey
• Fish and other types of seafood
• Plant-based sources of protein like beans, peas, lentils, nuts, soy, and mushrooms. 
• Low-fat dairy products like milk, yogurt, and kefir.