Several studies have documented that diets high in meat or fat are associated with higher risk of bladder cancer.
I’m waiting for the day when I read that the association between meat and cancer that keeps cropping up in studies is wrong. I’m waiting for the day when I can get on board with all these low-carb, paleo, meat-rich diets and not worry that all that animal food will promote cancer (or abuse animals or the planet). The day isn’t here yet, because everywhere I look, eating meat promotes cancer.
Bladder cancer? It’s the meat…
Dietary Factors Associated With Bladder Cancer, Investigative and Clinical Urology, June 2016
Some highlights:
- A 3% Increase in the consumption of energy intake from animal protein was associated with a 15% higher risk of developing BC while a 2% increase in energy from plant protein intake was associated with a 23% lower risk of developing BC.
- A significant dose response trend of elevated risk of developing BC with high intakes of red meat.
- High intakes of processed meat and processed red meat were associated with 28% and 41% increased risk of BC.
So, animal protein increases the risk of bladder cancer while plant protein decreases the risk.
I don’t get it. Do low-carbers just look the other way? How do they reconcile this?
Did you see that carbohydrate wasn’t a risk factor for bladder cancer? “Dietary carbohydrate intake does not appear to be associated with BC risk [9].” Sugar is a carbohydrate. Yet we tax sugar via sweetened beverages. If we truly cared about public health we would be taxing red and processed meat. Why aren’t we? You already know why … soda taxes aren’t about health, they are about raising revenue. They are political. The saddest part about that is governments are raising revenue on the backs of the poor.