As with everything, there is some truth to the new claims. But the WHO needs to draw a line in the sand with its recommendations. Yes, the evidence suggests a link between processed and red meats and bowel cancer. But it does not state the magnitude of effect (I don’t believe they can use “-ish” at the end of their recommendations.)

Let’s take a step back and see what confounding variables could affect the research. We will also take a look at how we can improve our health with some general guidelines.

Self-Reported Intake and Nutrition Studies

The WHO used over 800 studies to come to their conclusions. But people are awful at reporting nutrition intake. Dhurandhar and colleagues put out a report questioning the merit of studies that include nutrition questionnaires and self-reported measurements.² Some studies show underreporting by 40 percent or more. While the underreporting was mainly regarding energy balance and weight loss, the wide range should affect how we interpret the studies on the amount of red and processed meats.

To quote the author, “Dietary underreporting varies with the type of foods consumed, age, gender, smoking habits, education, social class, dietary restraint, the body mass index of respondent, and other life-stage factors.”

“Even when controlled studies are completed, the sample size is small and general population conclusions often cannot be drawn.”

So not only is underreporting an issue, it also varies depending on the subject. Due to financial and size restraints, more controlled nutrition studies are nearly impossible. Even when controlled studies are completed, the sample size is small and general population conclusions often cannot be drawn.

Quality of Product

There are so many different types of meat. Think of people in a small village in Italy who raise their own pig and cure it themselves. Compare that to a cheap hot dog on the street. Does quality matter? Of course, but it’s difficult to tease out those differences. A local, pasture-raised cow produces different meat than a factory farm equivalent. This further clouds the research.

Preparation

Burning and charring meat is a problem because it produces different compounds that can be carcinogenic. Unfortunately it would be almost impossible to control for burnt versus medium cooking outcomes, so it is all lumped together in the WHO research..

Lifestyles of the Subjects

What other factors can contribute to bowel cancer? For people eating the most cured meats, how many vegetables do they also eat? These are all questions that can play a huge role in getting more specific research. Fruits and vegetables are well established to be protective against certain cancers. Things like alcohol and smoking are not, so what happens when these factors are combined with high intake of processed and red meats? The research does not address these lifestyle questions.

The Real Take-Home Points: Use a Plant Based Diet

Notice I didn’t say go vegetarian. That’s a personal choice. But becoming more plant-based in your diet is a good idea. Fruits and vegetables are known to have an inverse relationship with cancer. And having a smaller portion of meat will save money and allow you to get higher quality meat.

Of course, the same problems that plague the meat research also show up with studies on fruits and vegetables. But I’d hedge my bets that the correlation between vegetables and less cancer is a good one. This doesn’t mean you need to eat broccoli with your burnt bacon. It’s about patterns, not individual meals. Having a long-term high intake of fruits and vegetables will be protective to your health.

The Real Take-Home Points: Don’t Burn Meat

Heterocyclic amines and other compounds are formed during high heat cooking and may contribute to the cancer correlation. Many factors are involved here, like fat and iron content, exact temperatures, time on the grill, and more. The takeaway? Avoid charring the outside of your steak.

“There is always some truth to the hysteria, but there’s also a lot of misinformation.”

A slow cooker is a great way to lock in flavor without burning. Cooking longer with lower heat is another option, depending on what kind of meat you’re preparing. Cooking bacon in the oven is quite flavorful. Sausages come out great boiled instead of grilled. If burning the outside is unavoidable, just slice the burnt piece off.

The Real Take-Home Points: Buy Higher Quality Cured Meats

A huge salami sandwich made with cheap deli meat is different from a high-quality, locally made salami. The second option will have more flavor, and you won’t need as much of it. Shop for local brands and check out ethnic shops. You’ll pay more, which will also help you savor it. Dried fruit, good cheese, and a high-quality cured meat is a great meal that won’t take much to fill you up.

The Real Take-Home Points: Don’t Be Crazy

When the media dropped the bomb that red and cured meat causes cancer, people went bacon crazy. What we eat is a big part of our values, so people on both sides either celebrated or became defensive. Just remember to be skeptical and use common sense. There is always some truth to the hysteria, but there’s also a lot of misinformation.

More like this:

• Is There a Connection Between Poultry and Prostate Cancer?
• To Grill or Not to Grill? Why a Summer BBQ Might Be Bad for You
• Is Red Meat Really Dangerous? or Do We Actually Need It?
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

References:

1. International Agency for Research on Cancer Press Release. “Monographs Evaluate consumption of red meat and processed meat.” World Health Organization. N240 26 Oct 2015.

2. Dhurandhar, N V, D. Schoeller, A W Brown, S B Heymsfield, D. Thomas, T I A Sørensen, J R, Speakman, M. Jeansonne, and D B Allison. “Energy Balance Measurement: When Something Is Not Better than Nothing.” Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord International Journal of Obesity 39 (2014): 1109-113. Pubmed. Web. 28 Oct. 2015.

3. Yusof, Afzaninawati Suria, Zaleha Md. Isa, and Shamsul Azhar Shah. “Dietary Patterns and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review of Cohort Studies.” Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 13 (2012): 4713-717. Print.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

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So, I am embarking on a short series of articles on basic techniques people can use to make all kinds of wonderful meals. As always, I shall indulge in a little creativity, too. I think it is sensible to start with the cornerstone of a paleo-ish life, so let’s talk about meat!

Before You Begin: Get a Good Thermometer

My first tip is another little repent. I completely forgot to include the most basic addition to any kitchen in my Christmas wish list article: a digital probe thermometer. This is an invaluable addition to any kitchen and, in these days of that famous Internet shopping goliath, it is readily available for just a few quid/bucks.

With a temperature probe in your arsenal, the perfectly cooked steak is elusive no more. Creating one becomes a simple application of knowledge, which I will go into shortly. Sames goes for a roast or stew.

Cooking Chops and Steaks

Let’s start with chops, or steaks if you prefer. Basically, these are single servings of a tender cut of meat, which we will cook rapidly with a high heat. My preferred method is in a flat pan or on the barbecue, but some people prefer a broiler.

There are few pointers to this method that a lot of people don’t know:

• Temperature: Never cook meat straight from the fridge. Give your meat half an hour to come to room temperature. Then the cooking process won’t have that fifteen to thirty degree temperature difference to make up before the cooking even begins. In the case of rapid cooking, making up for that difference may never happen, leaving you with a burnt outside and a raw middle.
• Salt and Pepper: Don’t pepper your chop until after cooking. The temperature required to cook the meat well will also burn the pepper, making it slightly bitter. Salt is fine before cooking, contrary to some advice. Although it will draw out water, it is no more than will be evaporated through the cooking process anyway.
• Flipping: Flip often, every fifteen seconds or so. This may seem over the top and maybe even counterintuitive. I used to think that disturbing the meat as little possible would speed up the process and thus yield the best results. But having read about and applied a regular flipping technique, I found that allowing some of the work to be done by the residual heat results in a much more palatable, evenly cooked slab of meat.
• Rest: There is no division of opinion among professionals here, yet it is often overlooked in a domestic setting. The term “rest” is quite literal. When you apply heat to the meat the proteins contract, forcing out moisture that remains within the meat but runs out when cut. When you rest the cooked meat those fibers relax, drawing the liquids back in and giving you a consistently moist cut of meat. This prevents that leaking-onto-the-plate thing that scares people a bit. It also allows for an even level of cooking and makes the meat more tender.
• Cooking Medium: Choose a frying medium that has a high smoking point. Sadly, olive oil will not do as it burns at a relatively low temperature. Lard, ground nut oil, rapeseed oil, or coconut oil are all good choices. My preference is lard as it is neutral in flavor and has a high smoke point.

Core Temperatures

Here comes the science bomb: the core temperatures to aim for. These are most commonly applied to cooking beef steak, but they apply to all meats. The temperature is measured by inserting the tip of the probe into the meat. Aim to hold it at the center. Be careful not to push it too far because you may end up measuring the temperature of the pan.

The temperatures I list below are the temperatures to look for on the probe screen. They are actually five degrees less than the temperature will be after resting.

• 40ºC (104ºF) – Rare
• 45ºC (113ºF) – Medium rare
• 50ºC (122ºF) – Medium
• 55ºC (131ºF) – Medium well
• 60ºC (140º) – Burned (sorry, “well done”)

After the meat has come out of the pan, add freshly ground black pepper. Then, I like to give it a quick brush of oil. This prevents the surface of the meat from getting dry and improves the appearance. It is also an opportunity to add a little flavor if you wish.

Recipe: Basic Pork Chops

This is a typical meal for me. I cook a piece of meat as above, more often than not pork as it is better value. Then as the meat is resting, I sauté some vegetables. There is a lot of scope for preference and creativity here. Oh, and I only use one pan, too.

Ingredients:

• 2 pork chops
• 200g (7oz) mushrooms
• 200g (7oz) green beans
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon
• Lard for frying
• Olive oil

Method:

1. Make sure your chops have been out of the fridge for half an hour or so. Put a bit of water and a pinch of salt in the pan and set on a high heat. When the water boils, add the beans and cook for one minute. Drain the beans in a colander and cool quickly in cold water, then drain.
2. Put the pan back on a high heat with a little lard. When the pan is really hot, salt your chops and lower into the pan slowly. Flip every fifteen seconds. After six flips, start to probe the meat. After each flip, insert the probe into the center of the meat. In the case of pork I aim for medium well, 55ºC (131ºF).
3. When the meat reaches the desired temperature, remove and set aside somewhere draft-free. Sprinkle with pepper and brush with olive oil.
4. Now add the crushed garlic to the pan, along with the sliced mushrooms and blanched beans. Toss the vegetables in the pan until they start to take on a little color. Then add a squeeze of lemon and serve.

Roasting

Now on to the next cooking method: roasting. Cooking your meat slowly at a relatively low temperature is one way to roast it. But this would not brown the meat and give you any yummy caramelized bits (this is known as the Maillard reaction, if you’re interested). So what we do is have a sizzle time first, where we cook the meat at a very high temperature for twenty minutes.

To roast your meat, take it out of the fridge at least half an hour before cooking. Then heat your oven up very high to 220ºC-240ºC (425ºF-450ºF). Salt the meat, then place it on a rack in a roasting tin (if you have a rack). Put it in the oven for twenty minutes.

After the sizzle, remove the meat from the oven and turn the temperature down to 140ºC (275ºF). Pepper the meat and return to the oven. Now give it twenty minutes per 500g (approximately 1lb) Probe the meat to take the temperature at the center. The same cooking temperatures apply. Rest for half an hour before you dare carve it.

Slow Cooking

Slow cooking either in a pan on the stovetop or in a slow cooker is brilliant. If you have enough time to ignore your dinner for a few hours, you can be treated to some of the tastiest dishes from the cheapest cuts.

The cheaper cuts of meat tend to be the tougher ones. They are tough because they have a high amount of connective tissue. This is good news for us fit freaks, because that connective tissue is pure protein that breaks down when subjected to low heat for a long time. Then your body can process it and use it to get da gainz. How cool is that? All you need is patience and a little technique.

Here are some of my tips for perfect slow cooking:

• Browning: Although it is not essential to brown the meat first, I would always recommend it otherwise the results can be a tad insipid. This is simply done by cooking the meat in small batches in a very hot pan for a few minutes. Don’t overcrowd the pan as it will slow down the whole process.

• Thickening: Again, you don’t have to thicken the sauce but not doing so can leave you with a watery sauce. The protein that dissolves will thicken slightly, but if you want to thicken it some more, which I would recommend, then you have two options: wheat flour or corn flour.

• Wheat Flour: Wheat flour has to be cooked out, otherwise it will give a raw flavor. So what we do is roll the meat in flour with a little salt, pat off the excess, then cook in a pan. The flour will combine with any fats during the cooking process and thicken the sauce.
• Corn Flour: Given the recent enlightenment to wheat intolerances, corn flour is making a comeback. It doesn’t need cooking out like wheat flour. However, just throwing it in slapdash will leave you with a lumpy sauce. Corn flour thickens when heated to boiling point, and if it isn’t evenly distributed it will set in dollops and look lumpy. So what you have to do is mix the corn flour with a little cold water and mix to a smooth paste. Then take whatever you are thickening off the heat, stir in the corn flour paste, and put it back on the heat. When the corn flour cooks it will thicken. This technique is often used for gravy.

• Tomato Puree: A lot of stew recipes include tomato puree. It always needs a little frying, otherwise it will lend a very bitter flavor to your stew. So I usually add it to the vegetables as they fry.

Recipe: Basic Stew

A basic stew consists of a tough cut of meat, the trinity of vegetables (carrot, onion, and celery), and liquid stock and/or booze. All of the stew/casserole one-pots tend to be a variation on that theme. You then add other applicable flavors like herbs and maybe some spices. I will illustrate the corn flour thickening technique here.

Ingredients:

• 500g (approximately 1lb) meat – beef is what I have today
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 large onion, also roughly chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, again, roughly chopped
• 1 Tablespoon tomato puree
• 1 liter (4 cups) stock
• A sprig each of thyme and rosemary, and a bay leaf (optional but recommended)
• 1 Tablespoon corn flour
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat up a large heavy pan over a medium high heat with a little lard in it. When the pan is hot, add the meat in a single layer. (This is why you have to do it in batches.) Keep turning until brown, then set aside. Repeat with the rest of the meat.
2. Once all of the meat is browned, then tip in the chopped vegetables. Again, stir it all around until it catches a little color, then add the tomato puree and cook for a further minute. As I said, never use tomato puree without frying it a bit.
3. Add your liquid. If you are using an alcohol like ale or wine, that would go in now and be left for a few minutes to reduce. Tip in the stock and add the browned meat back in along with any juices that have seeped out.
4. Bring to the boil then turn the heat right down to a simmer. By that I mean so low that just a single small bubble breaks the surface at a time. Then leave for at least two hours. Four is better. Some recipes call for all-night cooking with a tough cut like oxtail.
5. Now take the pan off the heat, add the herbs, then mix the corn flour in a small cup with a little bit of water to form a thin paste. Add the paste to the stew while continuously stirring to ensure it disperses evenly. Then put it back onto a high heat. When it comes to the boil it will thicken and you are done.

More Articles for Meat Lovers:

• Is Red Meat Actually Dangerous? Or Do We Actually Need It?
• Game On: 3 Classic Wild Game Recipes, With a Twist
• Home Curing 101: Create Delicious Cured Meats at Home
• The Newest Articles on Breaking Muscle

The post How to Grill, Roast, and Stew Meat Like a Pro appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Meat intake is on the rise in the United States, with red meat being the preferred choice of the American people. Although, one 2011 study did say there has been a trend towards higher poultry consumption and lower red meat consumption when compared to past studies.¹ Regardless, 22% of the meat consumed in the U.S. is from processed meats. Most of us are aware that processed meats are not good for us, yet they still constitute a major portion of the meat consumption in the U.S.

Dr. Loren Cordain, founder of the paleo diet movement, wrote on his website:

The scientific data showing that consumption of processed meats has multiple adverse health effects is persuasive, unambiguous and overwhelming. These facts are not surprising when considered in the evolutionary light. Our hunter gatherer ancestors had practically no evolutionary experience with these Johnnie come lately foods, and consequently our physiological and metabolic systems have had virtually no time to overcome these food borne toxins with genetic adaptations. I believe that consumption of fresh, grass produced meats under the context of a diet high in fruits and veggies (i.e. The Paleo Diet) will reduce your risk for all chronic diseases that plague western societies.

What about unprocessed red meat leading to disease? Red meat has been linked in studies as a cause for colorectal cancer, but a meta-analysis looking at 34 prospective studies of red meat and colorectal cancer stated, “This conclusion is based on summary associations that are weak in magnitude, heterogeneity across studies, inconsistent patterns of associations across the subgroup analyses, and the likely influence of confounding by other dietary and lifestyle factors.”³

The last part of that statement is where I want to draw attention. Most studies showing that red meat is dangerous were observational studies based upon data collected from food questionnaires. These require participants to recall what and how much they ate over a period of time. This has many downfalls. For one, it is hard to remember what you ate in the last few days, not to mention over a prolonged period of time. People tend to underestimate the amounts of bad foods they eat and overestimate the amounts of the healthy choices. Also, most health conscious people will stay away from red meat because of the negative media attention it gets. Are they healthier because they avoid red meat, or because they smoke less, exercise more, and drink less?

A meta-analysis of saturated fat intake and cardiovascular disease performed in 2010 stated, “[P]rospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD [coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease]. More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat.”⁴ This study recommends we look at the nutrients we replaced saturated fat with as a cause for heart disease. Could it be the recommendations of high carbohydrates, the recommendation for 70% of fat intake from polyunsaturated fats, or both?

I wrote about the dangers of too much polyunsaturated fats in a previous post. Another study looked at the effects of a high carbohydrate, low fat diet in post-menopausal women. This study showed that the high carbohydrate diet (60%) led to decreases in HDL, increases in plasma glucose and insulin, increases in very low density lipoprotein, and increases in triacylglycerol when compared to a 40% carbohydrate diet. The authors concluded this study by stating, “Because all of these changes would increase risk of ischemic heart disease in postmenopausal women, it seems reasonable to question the wisdom of recommending that postmenopausal women consume low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets.”⁵

Other studies have shown that meat leads to an increase in inflammation. This was specifically due to an increase in the gut bug, bilophila wadsworthia. But the diets examined tended to lean on processed meats as the meat source and shortchange fruits and vegetables. In the real world, we want to consume fruits and vegetables with our animal products. When we combine fruits and vegetables with our animal products we get an increase in bifidobacterium which can neutralize inflammation.⁶

With all of that said, there is some good research that shows meat may lead to disease by way of methionine toxicity. The United States is a wealthy nation and wealthier nations tend to focus on muscle meat for their meat choices. From an evolutionary perspective our ancestors ate from head to tail on the animal. Avoiding eating organ meats and bone marrow has led to a diet high in methionine and low in its counter-balancing glycine. Studies have shown that glycine supplementation can suppress the effects of methionine toxicity.⁷ The easiest way to avoid the potential dangers of methionine toxicity is to add bone broth and organ meats back into your diet.

The truth about red meat is that we need the amino acids, B vitamins, Iron, vitamin A, zinc, and other nutrients found in meat products. Protein also helps stabilize blood sugar and controls hunger. I typically recommend that at every meal women eat four to six ounces of protein from animal sources and men eat six to eight. This is a starting point that you can then adjust according to activity level and hunger.

I hope this clears up some common misunderstandings with red meat consumption and allows you to enjoy that piece of steak without feeling guilty!

References:

1. Carrie, Daniel, et al, “Trends in Meat Consumption in the United States.” Public Health Nutrition (2011). Retrieved on February 21, 2014.

2. Cordain, Loren. “The Truth About Processed Meats.” (2012). Retrieved on February 21, 2014.

3. Alexander, DD, et al, “Meta-analysis of prospective studies of red meat consumption and colorectal cancer.” European Journal of Cancer Prevention (2011). Retrieved on February 21, 2014.

4. Siri-Tirino, PW, et al, “Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2010). Retrieved on February 21, 2014.

5. Jeppesen, J, et al, “Effects of low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets on risk factors for ischemic heart disease in postmenopausal women.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1997). Retrieved on February 21, 2014.

6. Leach, Jeff. “Can a high fat Paleo Diet cause obesity and diabetes? Maybe, unless.” (2013). Retrieved on February 21, 2014.

7. Sugiyama, K, et al, “Effect of dietary glycine on methionine metabolism in rats fed a high-methionine diet.” Journal of Nutritional Science (Tokyo) (1987). Retrieved on February 21, 2014.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Is Red Meat Really Dangerous? Or Do We Actually Need It? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I wrote an article recently that cast some doubt on the healthiness of red meat in particular. Lately the grip of dogma against saturated fats has been loosening. It seems they aren’t so bad after all, and in that article I discussed a study that went after L-carnitine instead as the dooming nutrient in meat. I said at the end I was going to keep an open mind until more evidence comes to light, and here it is.

In recent meta-analyses performed by BMC Medicine, researchers have cast doubt on any meat detractors out there. Specifically, investigators analyzed the results of a disease study performed on nearly half a million participants across ten European countries that included an average of over a decade of follow up. In other words, this was a massive study. The researchers focused on cardiovascular disease, the second biggest cause of death in this study (after cancer) and the one that researchers have long tried to link to meat consumption.

Here’s what the researchers found. Unprocessed red meats had no significant link to cardiovascular disease. Unprocessed poultry had a non-significant trend towards a reduction in cardiovascular disease. Carnitine consumption be damned, meat is good for you. The researchers say as much, stating that unprocessed red meat, which boasts the highest carnitine levels, had little association with cardiovascular disease at all, and no significant risk.

On the other hand, processed meats significantly increased the risk of cardiovascular disease. When compared gram for gram to red meat, the same serving size of processed meats showed a 70% greater risk for cardiovascular disease. When translated into weekly servings, for every serving added of unprocessed red meat, there was no significant change to risk, but for every serving added of processed meats there was an 8% higher risk. That’s right, for every deli sandwich you get each week, watch out.

In fact, the researchers said it best. Of the many sandwiches promoted as healthy, which include low fat cheeses, low fat deli meats, and refined grains, the authors of the analysis stated, “few meals could be worse for health.”

The authors advised avoiding processed meats high in salt, preservatives, and refined grains and sugars as the primary culprits affecting our health negatively. They also expressed a need for the scientific and food production communities to move away from a focus on low fat.

So there you have it – ditch the deli meats and opt for unprocessed meats that are great for health and athleticism. And as a final thought in case you were curious (I was), although the authors weren’t focused on the other causes of death in the study specifically, they did note that red meat consumption had no association with cancer, or deaths due to digestive, respiratory, or any other issues. It’s time to put the red meat issue to rest.

References:

1. Renata Micha, et. al., “Processing of meats and cardiovascular risk: time to focus on preservatives,” BMC Medicine 2013, 11:136

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

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