Australians have been urged to cut down on boozy barbecues after a new study found consuming red meat and alcohol increases the risk of bowel cancer.
Consuming more of red meat and alcohol can increase the risk of bowel cancer but eating fiber, calcium, and yogurt can decrease the risk, according to research by the University of Utah released on Tuesday.
Bowel cancer is projected to kill more than 5,000 Australians this year, making it the country’s second most deadly cancer ahead of melanoma, breast and prostate.
Australians have been urged to cut down on boozy barbecues after a new study found consuming red meat and alcohol increases the risk of bowel cancer (stock image)
‘The findings of this study support existing recommendations for diet in the primary prevention of CRC (colectoral cancer or bowel cancer), emphasizing higher intakes of dietary fiber, calcium, and yogurt and lower intakes of red meat and alcohol,’ the study read.
People should instead get into dietary patterns that include ‘habitually consuming fruits, vegetables, grains, and low-fat dairy’, according to the study.
‘More research is needed on specific foods for which evidence remains suggestive, including other dairy products, whole grains, processed meat, and specific dietary patterns,’ the research concluded.
Researchers at the University of Utah reached the conclusion after combining the results of 45 global studies on 109 different food and beverage factors.
GP Ginni Mansberg said ‘when it comes to red meat and alcohol, probably less is more’ while ‘every Australian needs to be eating more vegetables’.
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GP Doctor Ginni Mansberg (pictured) said ‘when it comes to red meat and alcohol, probably less is more’ while ‘every Australian needs to be eating more vegetables’
‘I would say (eating red meat) about three times a week is probably an okay amount, less than that is okay, more than that is possibly risky for other things as well,’ Dr Mansberg said on Sunrise.
‘I think three times a week is a good amount but that’s not a kilo steak, that’s a decent small amount of red meat.’
The National Health and Medical Research Council’s alcohol guidelines recommend people limit their weekly alcohol consumption.
‘Healthy men and women should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than four standard drinks on any one day,’ the website reads.
‘The less you drink, the lower your risk of harm from alcohol.’
However, these standards were ridiculed for being unrealistic, as four standard drinks is just two pints of beer, and for putting alcohol on par with smoking.
Lower intakes of red meat and alcohol can reduce the risk of bowel cancer while higher intakes of fiber, calcium, and yogurt can decrease the risk, according to University of Utah research (stock image)
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