Red Meat and Cancer! PANIC! Understanding the WHO's Meat and Cancer Announcement

Is meat going to give you cancer? The answer is a very dubious maybe. Aaron helps you understand the meat announcement from the WHO, and it turns out, you might not need to panic.
Those of you who want to read more can go here: theincidentaleconomist.com/wor...
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Stan Muller -- Director, Producer
Aaron Carroll -- Writer
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[@Frost571]

If you consider that processed meats increase cancer risk by approximately 18%, this is a low risk increase on an individual level. From a population level however, this can translate into tens of thousands of additional cases. Also, research invariably compares people in the general population, and our population is very unhealthy. If we compare people who eat processed meat to people who eat plant-based, minimally processed diets, the risk increase of processed meats would likely be significantly higher. Also, you say that your research has reached different conclusions than that of the WHO -- I trust the WHO's analysis of the carcinogenic effects of meats much more than yours. This is to say nothing of the fact that processed meats and red meat have an encourmously negative impact on animal welfare, the environment, and other human diseases, while having little positive value other than taste. The only benefits (e.g. zinc, protein, iron, b12) can easily be found in plant sources (e.g. lentils, whole grains) and a supplement (even cows are given b12 supplements however). Why, as a healthcare professional, and moral human being, would you not encourage people to stop this practice? As healthcare professionals, we should encourage the public to do the healthiest things possible, and let them decide what healthy behaviours to adopt.

[@InorganicVegan]

+Frost571 Well, I agree with most of your post, but I trust Aaron more than the WHO at this point. Read their shitty report on glyphosate.

[@JosephBeckW0W]

+Frost571 As a healthcare professional, your job towards lifestyle is to educate about the health effects of certain choices, not to shame or encourage a person's decision. For example, receptive anal sex puts the person at a much higher risk for STI's like HPV and HIV particularly in gay communities where these infections are significantly more wide spread. It is okay for a doctor to say that anal sex, or that a homosexual life style puts you at a higher risk for those particular infections. It is not alright for your doctor to tell you to stop being gay, or to stop having anal sex. That is, if you are actually a doctor. You seem to be somewhat on the fringe side of the "health" movement and I wouldn't be surprised if you were actually an "organic life-style coach" or "holistic doctor" or "shaman" or something. I don't know, maybe you are a doctor with a lab coat and everything and you just happen to have a ridiculous view point. In which case, my apologies doctor. Now, what the WHO said was that red meat consumption is carcinogenic. It didn't cover the degree to which it causes tumors, or the safe consumption level. It just said that red meat, over a life time, may increase your potential for developing a kind of cancer. The WHO has also linked Coffee to bladder cancer. Simply because something is carcinogenic doesn't mean that its a surefire way to get cancer. You spoke about society wide risk increase. And you're right. Given enough time, if red meat were truly significantly carcinogenic (which meta-analysis has failed to confirm), the we would see large increase in cancer death in the meat eating community. Vegetarians are less likely to develop cancers than the general community, however as we control for other aspects of the test subject's diet, the lead significantly decreases. When we control for most other things and the only difference in diet is steak or salad, the difference becomes almost statistically negligible. Not everyone can be vegetarian. Ancestry, blood type, location, and much more determines how easily a person could cut out meat. As a personal anecdote, I dropped almost all of my meat consumption for about six months as a part of a larger diet. Even though I monitored all of my nutrient intake (iron, vitamins, protein, etc) I became anemic in less than 3 months. As a 22 year dude, that was fine. I was otherwise healthy if not a little weak from not having all of the little benefits that meat provides. However, if I was anything other than a healthy young person, my immune system would be severely weakened by that. It's great that you have the luxury to eat only vegetables, but please take the limitations of other people's bodies into account. Yes, we probably eat too much meat in America. But the answer is less meat, not no meat completely

[@Loathomar]

+Joseph Beck Technically, the WHO sad processed meat was a carcinogenic, red meat is still a potential carcinogenic and the data on it is really not all that great.

[@InorganicVegan]

+Joseph Beck Do you honestly believe in the blood-type diet bullshit? I severely doubt that you are even a doctor. You are so full of shit.

[@JosephBeckW0W]

I think that each person is different and that many factors determine what is a healthy diet. Idk if blood type is a significant part but i figured id throw it in for good measure. And no, I'm not a doctor. I am a biochemistry student who reads medical research on the can for pleasure

[@x-tinac1604]

Can you help us understand why the WHO came to a different conclusion from the studies than you did? It's pretty frustrating that there is enough room for such a big interpretation...

[@ragnhildbeate]

+Christina Casebeer Fairly certain that Aaron didn't read over 800 studies to conclude this.

[@InorganicVegan]

+Christina Casebeer The IARC is a joke. Read their terrible report of glyphosate.

[@InorganicVegan]

kazooga 1234 Bullshit. Citation needed.

[@SUPREMEdiver33]

+penguinragnhild this ^

[@SUPREMEdiver33]

+AkicitaIntellectual the risk of meat giving you cancer is low. just like smoking. carry on as normal :)

[@GirlAcrossTheWorld]

As a vegetarian, one thing that annoys me about this finding is a lot of people are parading it around like "haha, meat eaters get cancer". I don't like being grouped in with that crowd. One, that's very mean spritied, and two, there are lots of reasons to reduce or eliminate meat intake other than this one relatively trivial thing.

[@someguy2135]

Telling people about the health benefits of a whole food plant based diet is usually done in the spirit of being helpful to others. BTW I do agree that there are many other good reasons not to eat meat. I would say the same about dairy and eggs.

[@PissedOffGhost]

Thank you I was Waiting for this. Every time I read one of those headlines I was screaming in my head.

[@gregarmstrong2500]

As much as I know I'm going to regret weighing in on this... here goes nothing. A vegan diet CAN be healthy. A vegetarian diet CAN be healthy. An omnivorous diet CAN be healthy. There are lots of issues with all diet types if you aren't sensible with them. No one overarching diet type is better than another for your health assuming the consumer is sensible about the amount of each food group they are consuming. Can people please stop shouting "Veganism is the healthiest diet!" and "Omnivorism is the healthiest diet!" etc? They are both fine. Stop arguing. Just stay healthy. On a secondary note, regarding diet sustainability, does the world need to eat less meat? Yes. Does the world need to eat no meat? No. Have the no-meat proponents ever considered that the best way to get people to eat less meat maybe isn't to scream at them and tell them how much better you think you are than them? Maybe everyone should just make a bit of an effort to eat less meat? If everyone in the world just ate in a sustainable way (and a meat inclusive diet can be sustainable, if not necessarily the most efficient), it would make a much bigger difference than a small amount of the population eating none. Also, that way no one would have to listen to pro-meat people shouting about how all vegans are frail and have iron deficiencies or anti-meat people shouting about how pro-meat people are going to die of cancer, neither of which are scientifically backed.

[@redhedgehogocarina]

Greg Armstrong I think your comment is one of the very few reasonable and well-balanced ones here. Most people on either side of the argument are pretty hostile. And I agree; less meat is better than no meat.

[@phantomstrider]

it's a relief to read this comment t in a sea of (mostly no meat) screaming matches insulting the doc. Thanks for the breather. Think I'll leave the comment section now

[@markstuart9545]

Welcome to 2019. We have carnivore. And it’s blowing the studies out of the water with healthy outcomes. You were on the right track Aaron

[@Anonarchist]

This is Texas. I know there are people who eat pounds of beef every day. I'm sick of barbecue...

[@InorganicVegan]

+Anon archist Jesus christ. That's sick.

[@HercadosP]

Thanks, I just needed useful, (not pregnant mom's blogs) resources for a paper about this topic for my school

[@bibinraj2000]

+Hercados P. why?

[@hootMaw]

+Bibin Raj he needed an unbiased source

[@bibinraj2000]

altos doly why does he need a paper for this topic ,I mean...

[@daddyleon]

+Hercados P. Haha, this is true on so many levels! "pregnant mom's blogs" those thing are sooo annoying!

[@electricfilms100]

if you break down the contents of all the processed junk we eat, I think huge number of people are eating more than one serving a day. For starters, what is a serving? Isn't that normally some fraction of what actually shows up on your plate? So that's 2-3 servings at dinner or lunch in a form we call a 'steak' right? what about pizza later? or a hot pocket? or nachos (with the meat on it)? Or spaghetti (meat sauce)? Look at all the ways we get meat and I think more than one serving a day is far likelier than Aaron was making it sound. I'd love to know Aaron's thoughts on the China Study which followed a large number of types of diets across China, many of them very western, and found a massive correlation between animal protein and cancers. Correlation does not mean cause, but RCTs with cancer are hard to come by as Aaron frequently points out.

[@AntonsClass]

mattdotgreenlake , very good point. Westerners don't realize how many servings they really are consuming a day. Breakfast sausage and bacon, bologna or ham sandwich for lunch, then steak or hamburger for dinner. And each meal was probably more than a single serving to begin with.

[@superfisto]

Did you conflate protein consumption with meat consumption?

[@MrJero85]

meat is mainly (exept for bone) made of muscle cells which are made from proteins. so they are the same

[@gregarmstrong2500]

+Jeremy Morris They aren't the same... If I increase my meat consumption, I'll probably be increasing my protein consumption, but I can increase my protein consumption without increasing my meat consumption, so they aren't the same.

[@Quagthistle]

+Greg Armstrong Increasing my protein consumption means I eat little more beans/rice, soy, or *le gasp* yummy wheat gluten (often from a can because Loma Linda and Worthington fake chicken/pork is totally delicious). I don't eat meat because I have an aversion to writhing on the floor in agony (and, no, all meats are not equally likely to cause this problem - for me, turkey is the worst, beef 2nd, ham 3rd, chicken 4th, and seafood last - nevertheless, I prefer to simply avoid the problem altogether for somewhat obvious reasons). So, I don't much care about this announcement because I haven't eaten meat in 10 years. As for the idea, I would venture to say (in my humble opinion) that overconsumption of *anything* is bad. Even water can kill you if you drink too much. Seriously, just eat a balanced, varied diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, proteins, and grains. If your idea of dinner every night is a 12 oz steak and a few pieces of heavily buttered toast, consider a change in diet. Likewise, if your idea of dinner every night is a plate of celery, you probably wouldn't be getting the nutrients you need. This is just my opinion, though.

[@DarthRioBarbossa]

I work at a deli, and I recently had a customer asking about the health risks associated with processed meats because of this WHO announcement, and because of this video I was able to explain exactly why his buffalo chicken wasn't going to kill him. Thank you Aaron!

[@Atlessa]

Yep, the moment I heard "18% more likely" I immediately thought back to that episode, and thought to myself: "I guess that would put me from 1.01% to 1.2% at most... IF I were to start eating 'too much' meat today." (I prefer chicken. Red meat; maybe three servings a month.)

[@SUPREMEdiver33]

+Atl essa did you know smoking increases your chances of getting cancer from 0.2% to 0.43%. science is bullshit!

[@shadowsfromolliesgraveyard6577]

+Atl essa As was said in the video the increase from the average consumption of meat is 4% to 5% chance of colorectal cancer. That's significant.

[@Atlessa]

Kieron George It's still not an 18% increase (read: 4% to 22%). And I also kinda doubt the 4% is accurate. 4% of all mankind have or will have that particular kind of cancer? Seems a bit high.

[@Correctrix]

+Atl essa 4% to 22% is a 450% increase. You understand that a 100% increase means doubling, right? If someone told you that doubling your intake of a certain toxin meant that it doubled your risk of death from that toxin, i.e. increased your risk by 100%, would you think that that's the same as increasing your risk *to* 100%? Or increasing it by a hundred percentage points (to 110%, say)? No, it increases it by 100%.

[@Atlessa]

Correctrix did you even READ my first comment before posting that rant? Let me requote myself for you: "I guess that would put me from 1.01% to 1.2% at most..."

[@elliottmcollins]

So you're saying we should give up bananas...

[@TomReade]

The responses by many well meaning vegans on these comments are exactly why you don't win over many people. The smugness in which you present your arguments turn off most people- certainly Americans.

[@TPHRyan]

+Tom Reade I just can't help but think that the odds are still going to be better in my favour considering we know these days a completely meat-free healthy diet can exist... My main issue with this video in particular is it looks (even though it may not be inconsistent with the other videos in context) as though Aaron is putting a particular spin on his presentation of the facts to put meat eaters (himself?) at ease. Come to think of it, a lot of this channel is "just do the minimum like you've been doing, it's fine" kinda mentality, which I'm not a fan of.

[@SUPREMEdiver33]

calls out vegans for being smug with smug comment

[@SUPREMEdiver33]

calls out vegans for being smug with smug comment

[@benmoore3867]

+TheInnocence111 confirmation bias is a huge issue in scientific research The issue is a lot of people in the vegan/vegetarian community really wanted the WHO warning to be more than it really is which has caused it to be mis-read and publicised more than it should have. Even when you watch documentaries like "cowspiracy" and "earthlings", you can find many instances of confirmation bias in their research. I'm not claiming that Aaron is perfect, but often people will not like to hear the truth when it proves them wrong. Take the anti-vaxxer movement for example. Aaron may be protecting his lifestyle choice, but he does so with the actual research instead of using alternatives or coming to conclusions based off of unverifiable stories which a lot of people (pro and anti meat) tend to do to try and seem smart. It's always going to be an unpopular debate on either side.

[@PrincessLollyLolita]

When I'm a doctor, I'll also have a Hello Kitty in a jar in my office.

[@NotbutContent]

The American Cancer Society's estimates for colorectal cancer in the United States for 2015 are: About 93,090 new cases of colon cancer About 39,610 new cases of rectal cancer About 49,700 deaths from colorectal cancer Enjoy.

[@blackbear52able]

We have decreased meat consumption the last few decades, but we still consume more meat than we did 100 years ago. And by meat consumption I mean beef- Pork consumption has remained relatively steady. On the other hand, we have increased chicken and cheese consumption, which is not the healthiest direction to go in when we are trying to avoid cancer.

[@yranac]

Omg thank you! It drove me crazy how many people couldn't put context to the news.

[@DimitriRastoropov]

I eat at least 15 pounds of red meat in one week.

[@SamanthaSpindler]

Too much of anything is a bad thing, but if red meat was as carcinogenic as they're making it out to be there would be more people with colorectal cancer. In the fact is that the people who are at the higher risk of having the diseases that are caused from red meats are those working with them directly, farmers. Like the example of the banana in the beginning of the video, "they don't cause accidents very often, unless you work in a banana factory"; the banana factory in this case would be livestock farmers.Regardless of that, there are many contributing factors to why red meat is carcinogenic. It's not just the red meat itself causing the cancer; lifestyles, environment, and the rest of the diet should be considered before stating such a bold case. I have heard that adding a hydrochloric acid supplement before consuming red meats actually helps digest the meat faster and lowers the risk of colorectal cancer, but that is something I would have to find more literature on myself.

[@dm121984]

Question: You say 'multiple servings a day' is an issue - would 3 slices of ham in sandwiches count? I usually have that and wondered if I should really think about switching. I don't usually have another serving of red meat in the same day (sometimes but less than once every 2 weeks)

[@KS-hd2ys]

Does this research include the 30 year compilation found in The China Study?

[@someguy2135]

The sample size was huge.

[@DaniErik]

What is a "banana factory"?

[@GenericGoogleAccount]

It's a banana farm, or more specifically, the facility that does all the handling between harvesting the bananas and shipping them to grocery stores, such as splitting harvested banana bunches (they carry up to a hundred bananas each) into smaller ones (in dozens, pairs, individual bananas or whatever other sizes), cleaning, quality control, packaging in crates for shipping, etc. It's five years late, but here we go!

[@TomCantDance]

As soon as people said that red meat is as dangerous as Plutonium, I knew something was amiss

[@tonjestby2260]

But why advise people to cut back on processed meat when even the higher consumption weren't associated with significantly increased cancer risk? It does increase risk of heart disease, and that's way more common than cancer, so maybe that's the reason.

[@Guywithcrazyideas]

I was happily eating a processed meat sandwich as I watched this informative video.

[@jacksragingjealousy]

Thank you! Now to share on every social media outlet I have!!!!

[@laurap4415]

I was hoping you'd do a show on this news!

[@vietphamification]

It's not "carcinogenic to humans" its Carcinogenic to humans. Doc doesn't want to give up his addiction. I would remind you that doctors 50 years ago recommended smoking.

[@JunKurosu]

+VeganViet Ⓥ I would reminf you that you're an idiot

[@vietphamification]

Maya Amano Doctors need people like you to continue to hold onto meat like bible thumpers to jesus to continue eating meat other wise how would doctors make money if everyone was healthy? Make the connection and do it for the environment, animals, and your health

[@JunKurosu]

VeganViet Ⓥ Hahahahahahahaha its so hilarious how much bullshit you're spewin out of your mouth

[@FajorMuckup]

I haven't eaten a meal without meat in decades.

[@SchiferlED]

Thanks for the video. I was calling out all of these articles on reddit about the risk being relative and very small absolute.

[@dwdetroit1]

How do you compare this to the China Study details?

[@someguy2135]

No answer after 3 years now. Hmmm...

[@takeoffyourblinkers]

@@someguy2135 Maybe because the china study was an absolute joke 🤣

[@2nd3rd1st]

I'm a bit disappointed that "meat doesn't cause much more cancer". If it were the terrible treatment of food animals would have taken a significant hit and maybe there would have been a serious public discussion about processed food in general, one that lobbyists wouldn't be able to silence easily. Because seriously, who of us NEEDS to eat red or other meat to be a healthy human nowadays? It's a "luxury" food in richer countries and habitory food overall.

[@Belrodes]

+2nd3rd1st Meat is a part of the human diet. Going vegetarian or vegan is the luxury, because you have access to a surplus of foods and artificial supplements that the majority of people cannot access. It is a lifestyle choice that very few people choose to take and a very small group of those people keep. I have nothing wrong with your choice, but it's important to realize that millions would starve to death without meat. That being said, I can absolutely agree that we need to treat animals we raise as food better. The farm system is truly deplorable because cost-cutting methods are not restricted enough.

[@SUPREMEdiver33]

+Mike Hoth infact its the exact opposite meat consumption is a luxury. 40% of agricultural output in western countries goes to meat production

[@Belrodes]

I wondered how long it would be before an extremist spotted this thread. Meat is a human food, its why our mouths are designed the way they are. To claim otherwise is nothing but dogmatic ignorance bred by extremist vegans. These same extremists ignore the fact that they cannot feasibly acquire the nutrients they need to stay alive without artificial methods. If you would like to be the first to try eating only what we feed livestock and come tell me in five years that you're perfectly healthy, I'll be waiting. Until then, please learn some basic biology to understand that corn and turf grass can't meet even your most basic needs. Also, plants can detect damage just as easily as you can, and they react to it. Good luck finding a way around that problem.

[@StephenIngersoll]

+Sovereign Rex lol salty? i have a burger to eat. that cow can lick my nutsack, im not going to stop eating meat ever

[@SUPREMEdiver33]

Mike Hoth are mouths are designed that way? why do you cook the meat? just eat its raw your designed that way!

[@cinammonstyx7622]

How does this relate to non-processed meat (more specifically the levels of what too much is at the end)?

[@rebeccatrishel]

Why were you talking so much about protein consumption as if red meat is the only source of protein? And why did you spend so much time talking about red meat while ignoring the warning about processed meat? Many Americans are indeed eating multiple servings of processed meat every day (bacon for breakfast, lunch meat at lunch, barbecue for dinner). The evidence of that it increases the risk of bowel cancer is convincing. I feel like you're avoiding the issue.

[@benmoore3867]

+Rebecca Johnson He is using available research data. He comments that there should be a randomised controlled trial to give a more accurate result.

[@Correctrix]

+Rebecca Johnson He personally likes his processed red meat, so when he learns that it's harmful, he gets all jittery at the idea of it being taken away from him, like a Republican waiting for Obama to knock on his door and take his guns. Reason goes out the window.

[@rebeccatrishel]

***** RCTs are better evidence, but it would be pretty difficult to conduct one in this instance. Would it even be ethical to instruct a group to eat more processed meat to see if they develop cancer? I guess you could do the reverse, get a group of people who already eat processed meat and random assign some of them to stop ... but the lack of RCTs when it comes to diet and cancer risk is because of issues of practicality, cost and diet. It's not because the WHO or the NIH is lazy or something. Also, this isn't a condemnation against protein, animal protein, or meat in general. Processed meat, which means bacon, sausages, hot dogs, corned beef, beef jerky, ham and canned meat. And the amount they were talking about was 50g per day, which isn't much - like a slice of bacon. I don't see any harm in avoiding processed meat - you can get the nutrients that they provide (mostly just protein) elsewhere, and they also tend to be high in saturated fat, sodium and other things that you shouldn't eat in excess anyway. Red meat is a little different - the evidence against it is less conclusive. I don't see anything wrong with saying avoid processed meat, eat more plant food, and eat red meat in moderation to reduce your risk of colon cancer. There's a lot of evidence to back up this recommendation, and importantly, there's no evidence that following these guidelines will somehow cause harm to people.

[@patrickdoyle3174]

I'm a vegetarian and an animal rights supporter. Consumption of meat, especially red and processed and most of all processed red meat causes a lot of health problems (directly and indirectly), including some cancers. That said, people obviously make that out to be more than it is, but it still does cause an increase in cancer. I'm not even going to get into other health, environmental, economical, ethical, and countless other issues. So people shouldn't freak out over this particular finding, but they should read the writing on the wall that's been here for millennia. However, this video doesn't distinguish between animal and protein, whether the meat is red or white, whether meat is processed or not, the amount of meat, and other things. It ignores other issues with meat, puts carcinogenic to humans (that's not ambiguous or disputable in any conceivable way) in air quotes, and says the plethora of researchers around he world involved with the WHO (including Ivy League universities)...

[@patrickdoyle3174]

...developed an inferior conclusion to this specific doctor without any reason. Dr. Carroll here ignores so crucial details, promotes a specific lifestyle even though he has promised not to, and flails his arms and yells wildly while accusing the media of sensationalism. The things that get me here are the betrayal and hypocrisy: he forgets his promises to avoid sensationalism, acknowledge facts and multiple perspectives, and not promote a specific lifestyle. This is really weird. I just don't get it. I can't recall another time when they valued views and high horses over health and honesty. Just that frozen image of Dr. Carroll writhing in the air in the first second as I type this is sickening. It just doesn't stop throughout the entire episode. This is even more shocking due to the producers, sponsors, brand, and history associated with this KZbin network. It was undoubtedly the best health channel on KZbin, and now it's not. Unsub.

[@jklocport]

Do any of the studies propose a mechanism? or is it just bibbity-bobbity-boo-you-die?

[@timothy558]

What about effect? Smoking increases cancer risk by 2500% compared to the daily consumption at around 18%...

[@Snoopod]

How can meat NOT be associated with death from heart disease? It's like over 50% saturated fat! And you speak as if it's incredibly uncommon to not have several servings of red meat a day. Many people have meat for all three meals. In fact, I can't think of many common American meals that aren't based on meat or eggs (also very high in saturated fat). I think I'll stay vegan, thanks.

[@Adderkleet]

+DailyLGS "How can meat NOT be associated with death from heart disease? It's like over 50% saturated fat!" - no, it's not. Unless you're eating fat itself, with meat on the side. Under Irish regulations, anything called "meat" cannot be more than 30% fat for pork products, 25% for beef, and 15% for birds including chicken. That's ALL fat, not just the saturated. If you've a higher fat percentage than that, you can't call it "100% meat/beef/etc.", you have to announce that your 1/4lb steak is less than 1/4lb meat. USDA allows Rib-eye to have up to 15g sat. fat (37.6g total fat) per 3.5oz serving (about 100g, so fats can be read as percentage). 38% is close to 50%, but it's still only 15% *saturated* fat.

[@marie.c.c]

+DailyLGS You might want to review how fat is not what is causing disease but CARBOHYDRATES.

[@Dooality]

Yeah, saturated fat causing heart disease is pretty much disproven. In fact this very channel did a video on it if I remember correctly.

[@Meloncov]

+DailyLGS The correlation between dietary cholesterol and cholesterol in the blood is somewhere between weak and non-existent. Now, most vegan diets are indeed healthier than most omnivorous ones, so by all means stay vegan, but saturated fat isn't the culprit.

[@Cancellator5000]

+Adderkleet nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beef-products/10526/2 in america total fat content is close to 50%. Not saturated fat though. There is also a difference between fat content and the calories attributed to fat too. If you think of it as calories most of the calories are from fat because fat is more calorie dense than protein. So, if you want to have a low fat diet, as in less calories from fat, then meat is a terrible addition to your diet. However, fat is a necessary part of a healthy diet, so it is a trade off. Also, just because it isn't saturated fat the fat in red meat is mostly not healthy. There is a significant amount of natural trans fats, which are less healthy than saturated fat even and there aren't enough Omega 3s. The fat content in fish or poultry is much better. It is awesome that Irish regulations are so stringent because I think the USDA ones are terrible considering the amount of meat americans eat.

[@ForPreventionSakewellness]

Thanks for addressing this!

[@brwneyedgirlx19]

I can always count on Healthcare Triage to back me off the ledge. In this case a bacon ledge.

[@someguy2135]

That was close. Think what would have happened if you stopped eating bacon. You would have died from protein deficiency like all the other vegans.

[@SeanBennett]

How are the health consequences of alcohol debatable?

[@benmoore3867]

+Sean Bennett Casual alcohol consumption is debatably causing health issues (very little), Casually smoking however...

[@Arkarian1987]

What are they eating the meat with? Is a high meat consumption accompanied with beer, bread and icecream? Are the low meat eaters more conscious of their health and doing exercise? I have been following the keto-carnivore community and they seem to be the healthiest. There are too many confounding variables

[@ctcboater]

The Good Doctor keeps skipping back and forth between meat and processed meat, but the study primarily centered on the effects of processed meat. Reducing colorectal cancer significantly cannot be dismissed by creating false equivalencies. The doctor's prejudices (likely to justify his personal tastes) are showing through, and it's not the first time I've seen this.

[@johnharvey5412]

+Robert Putnam Sometimes the research isn't sufficient to make broad, sweeping statements, so one might have something to say about processed meat while another has something to say about meat in general.

[@christianjames92]

Or your own biases are coming through. He broke down the study perfectly and gave the facts.

[@johnnywatts8232]

I'd sooner die of cancer from eating meat than to live a couple years longer eating broccoli.

[@buddinghumanist6285]

Wait...I'm going to die someday?! You waited this long to tell me this, Dr. Carroll?!

[@GayRum]

You forgot to mention what a serving is: 3 ounces. I'd wager most people eat much more than a single serving in a single sitting.

[@emma70707]

Aaron, you're completely wrong in your closing statements. According to the USDA, the average American adult eats about 1.5 servings a day if meat, and somewhere between 1/2 - 2/3 of that is red meat (based on average consumption per person for the year). Now consider the variation of eating habits and you can see how a substantial portion of US adults have "high" meat consumption, including multiple red meat servings per day. Indeed, growing up in the Midwest, it blew people's minds that I didn't have at least 3 servings of meat, typically red meat, per day.

[@jordynd8162]

This video is very interesting because I do eat a lot of meat, certainly not multiple amounts a day but I would say a couple times a week. I never did hear about red or processed meat was causing cancer though. Watching this video and reading some of the comments makes me think about what I eat and how I could change it out for a healthier approach. I would definitely never cut meat out because I love it but I could cut back or find sometime to substitute that is healthier.

[@P1taJ]

"Are you all going to die? Someday, unfortunately, yes." Hey, I plan on my consciousness being transferred to a synthetic body before then.

[@jn-mmb2576]

Wow THANK YOU for differentiating between ARR and RRR!

[@jackwilliams4570]

I effing love this channel

[@TheRealE.B.]

Back in college, I had to watch a video my Sustainability class about how eating meat was bad for the environment and would kill you. At the time, I assumed that the cited results were driven by processed meats. I didn't realize just how cherry-picked the data was, though. The good news is, it was part of the Civil Engineering curriculum and was generally considered an easy-A class that nobody took seriously.

[@Hadarmil]

What nobody tells you sadly, is that too much protein(depending on your size and activity level) turns to carbohydrates, which raises your risk of diabetes and other non enjoyable conditions. Eating more fat however, doesn't. If you are scared of saturated fats, which you shouldn't be, just get a salad and fill it with olive oil. Just one healthy option,plenty others exist. Google it.

[@Mooneater57]

What the heck bro, meat consumption after a certain age just shows good appetite / health overall. proteins are a proxy for calories. thank you for trying convincing people of something else. Difference on absolute percentages for cancers just by looking at processed meat is not enough. all fats contribute. And eliminating meat is eliminating a portion of that unhealthy fat load in the iet.

[@RemyPov]

In my opinion it doesn't make sense to overthink everything. I study Public Health and learned alot about the key things for a better life. Just for example, people who never drink alcohol will die younger than people who drink although alcohol isn't good for your health. But people who drink go more often out with friends and the joy you have is better for you than staying home because you don't like to go out with drunken people. What i want to say is: food isn't just about nutritions. If you live a strictly diet and avoid situations where you can't hold your diet or can't enjoy food anymore, then you won't live longer than a Person who eats what he likes and enjoys it.

[@someguy2135]

Vegans can have a good healthy social life. Web sites like www.meetup.com help vegans find each other. I socialize with omnivores every week. I'm sure I am not unusual among vegans.

[@tyeachildlove6032]

Actually people who drink achcol will die young than those who do that dont make since u said that? Cause of crimminals in achcol

[@bobbygirl5092]

Should've clarified that protein is in plants too and not only in meat. More protein doesn't mean more disease but too much meat can mean more disease. Protein is not exclusive to meat

[@DemonicPanda65]

so what are processed red meats exactly, like hamburgers, hot dogs, and lunchmeats?

[@JunKurosu]

+demonic panda exactly that.And why not put a pic?

[@DemonicPanda65]

+Maya Amano Thx, and I'm assuming you mean for my profile, why do you care?

[@JunKurosu]

demonic panda Cause it would be cool to see a demonic panda

[@neotericphoenix5811]

Whole foods plant-based diet low in salt and oil VS Low carb diet high in meat, dairy, and eggs. Which is healthier? I would ask who would live longer but I think the question is who will live longer with the least amount of medical problems. This is just considering the health aspect of diet. The ethical and environmental aspects are also massively in favor of a plant-based diet or vegan lifestyle. Just sayin :) No hate

[@sciencenerd8879]

Okay what about cardiovascular disease?

[@shadowsfromolliesgraveyard6577]

Isn't 1% increase in absolute risk the difference between smokers' & non-smokers' cancer, as well?

[@Loathomar]

+Kieron George No, not even close. Smoking increase lung cancer by 2,500% in comparison to non smokers. Of the 159,260 US lung cancer deaths, ~145,000 are cause by smoking. This comparison to the 49,700 deaths cause by the ALL colon and rectal cancer combined. If we assumed 100% of American eat processed meat, that eating processed meat would account for 9,000 deaths per year.

[@shadowsfromolliesgraveyard6577]

+Loathomar You seem to be right, though you didn't give the absolute risk increase.

[@Loathomar]

Kieron George I did not because I did not find one in the quick look I did, but the data is so clear that we can say unequivocally that the risk increase is no where near as large. I don't know what percent of the US population eats processed meat, but it is reasonable large. Even if we use a low number like 50%, we have 9,000 deaths per year out of 150 million vs the 17% of American's who smoke leading to 145,000 lung cancer deaths per year. So for ever 1,000 smokers, we have 2.9 lung cancer deaths per year. And for ever 1,000 processed meat eaters we have 0.06 colon and rectal cancer deaths. Also, which I don't think it was 18% for both, but even ignore that and all other forms of cancer that smoking increase the two are so far part that there should be no question.

[@britpixie]

THANK YOU!

[@moredena]

Can we have a health care triage on the affects of spanking and corporal punishment on children? I've seen studies that say there are negative outcomes but I've been told that the science isn't 'good'.

[@patrickdoyle3174]

Hitting children is bad. That's very self-explanatory.

[@moredena]

+Patrick Doyle I don't disagree. I'm in the 'hitting children is bad for their health' camp. But I got in an argument with a friend about it and he says the science that's often quoted is "bad". So I want some clearer information. That's all. :)

[@SensitiveTriggerResponse]

All got to be in balance and fit for your body weight. Lets say 50gr of whatever what is good for a man with 90kg, but killing for a lady of 45kg. Also eating a lot of crap, eat more salad... that will make more sh+++++ comes out and no go into blood.

[@zomakaja]

New camera?

[@delicee1084]

If red meat caused cancer the way it’s made out to be then there would a greater number of people with cancer. As stated in the video, your risk of getting cancer increases when you eat multiple servings of red meat every day. If one eats a few ounces of red meat everyday then their whole diet needs to be considered.

[@mskatiecline]

Thank God!

[@CoffeeOnRails]

Sorry... but this sounds like a story out of "The Daily Mail" in the UK... :D

[@raindropscallme]

could you make a video about whether or not veganism can prolongue your life?i'm really interested...

[@someguy2135]

Vegans and vegetarians live longer. www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324423904578523190441042514 This link quotes a JAMA paper about more than 73 thousand Seventh Day Adventists who do not eat meat due to their church's teachings. Most of them are vegetarians, but some are vegans.

[@takeoffyourblinkers]

@@someguy2135 🤣🤣🤣 Another joke of a study heavily biased towards vegtards.

[@someguy2135]

@@takeoffyourblinkers National Geographic magazine investigated which populations live the longest and had the most vitality into the later years. They dubbed these populations Blue Zones. All Blue Zones eat little or no meat. The only Blue Zone in the USA are the Seventh Day Adventists of Loma Linda California. www.bluezones.com/recipes/food-guidelines/

[@someguy2135]

@@takeoffyourblinkers On what basis do you make your claim? I gave a link to a source that most people would judge to be credible. I haven't seen your explanation of what was the flaw in the study, or why the Journal of the American Medical Association would put their reputation in jeopardy by making false claims.

[@PotionsMaster007]

Does this guy remind anyone else with John green?

[@StephenBelden]

Anyone else hear that annoying repetitive noise in the background? Sounds like a car alarm going off really fast.

[@AccidentalScraps]

So then are you saying the WHO's recommendation is an irresponsible one? Surely they would go through the proper analyses before issuing such a recommendation. It's concerning if they can't be trusted to do so. What would be their reasoning for making too strong of a recommendation? And do large, reputable, international health organizations do so often?

[@steveh46]

+AccidentalScraps The WHO did not issue a recommendation. WHO issued a statement that said, "The latest IARC review does not ask people to stop eating processed meats but indicates that reducing consumption of these products can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer." www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2015/processed-meat-cancer/en/ IARC's statement is here, but also does not contain a recommendation: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470204515004441

[@TeemarkConvair]

thanks for the dose of sanity

[@joelip4396]

You should still eat less meat, though. At least to reduce your carbon footprint. Also, did you just equate protein to meat? In one of the studies? Meat, BEANS, and nuts!

[@someguy2135]

...and grains, and seeds, etc. etc. I agree.

[@TeshnosFire]

Beef steak is too expensive :(

[@Acleroaone]

Loving the banana peel analogy

[@LokiDays]

What is this Newyork Times, you speak of :D

[@LittleMew133]

I love the title!

[@jml21000]

we're all freaking out! lol

[@mrs_moose3546]

geez this stupid red meat thing made me want to stop being vegetarian just to prove a point. I can't stand media -_-

[@OphiucusIncendia]

May The bacon will be with you.

[@kd1s]

Chicken isn't read meat right?

[@BritishTeaLover]

+kd1s No, it's a white meat

[@siramea]

+kd1s correct, red meat is any mammalian meat so it includes pork even though it doesn't look red.

[@kd1s]

+SuperMe Well yeah I know about pork - but it cooks up white. My faves are chicken, pork and lamb.

[@DomSchu]

Doc doesn't want to give up his meat habit.

[@netsquall]

+Sean Toney Someone works for the meat industrial complex I see

[@DomSchu]

Sean Toney wtf? You realize raising meat uses about 10x the food it produces right? So more people being vegan wouldn't increase world hunger, it would help solve it. gentleworld.org/could-veganism-end-world-hunger/ It's not about making everyone be vegan, it's about reducing your own impact if you can/choose to. And as it turns out it is much healthier to avoid meat altogether. So it's a win win.

[@okikai]

+DomSchu EXACTLY.

[@KonijNx2]

+Sean Toney You are literally changing 'meat' for 'plant' and stating what is the literal opposite of the situation. It's essentially Orwellian what you're doing. It's well known that animals consume over 10x more food that humans can eat than they provide, it's simple biomass. On top of that it takes up *vastly* more land, destroys the rainforest, monopolises the vast majority of fresh water and it's the heaviest polluting industry in the World today (even more so than the energy industry). You are literally implying that vegetarianism/veganism is bad because many believe Hitler was vegetarian. Sean, do you think that's a logical thing to do?

[@KonijNx2]

+Sean Toney "Aside from the fact that you're citing a blatantly biased article,you realize that most of that food that is "10x" what it produces is food humans can't digest, right? Humans can't digest cellulose, which is what most of the animals we feed eat." That's an indredible statement of ignorance. The animals that you are eating are being fed *corn* and *soy*, foods that humans are perfectly capable of eating. Do you actually believe you are eating animals that graze on grass? "you would literally have to raise most of the world's forests to the ground to produce enough plants for humans, killing off hundreds of thousands of animal species and destroying the environment in it's entirety to produce enough plants to feed humans." No, you would have to do that to feed the animals humans are eating, and that's actually what we're doing.

[@SullenSecret]

What's with all of the talk about protein? On the WHO page about this issue, it talks about chemicals in the meat from high heat. It suggests that it's related to chemicals introduced into red meat. Also, any risk to one's health is important to take seriously. Do you smoke, too?

[@mastring1966]

In conclusion, I'm going to keep eating my bacon a couple times a week. My spaghetti with meat sauce once or twice a week, some chicken a couple times and maybe a burger. As he pointed out before, it's more about portion control than it is how awful the things you stuff in your face are (yup, i'm going to eat a tin of vienna sausage every once in a while too...they're good, even if the ingredients likely do, in fact, include lips and assholes)

[@SUPREMEdiver33]

+Martin Stringer YES! portion control. i only smoke 10 cigarettes a day now. my doctor recommends camels :)

[@TimothyFerguson]

Do meateaters really limit themselves to a few ounces a day, though? I come from a metric country, but I'm not sure that a steak / chop / whatever every night is small enough to fit under that bar. I'm not saying you should give meat up (although I have), but what I am saying is that if you say your minimum safe level is a few ounces per day, you hit the problem we had here in Australia where our cardiac health guidelines said basically that a single serve of meat is a lean cut, the size of a deck of playing cards. People regularly think one steak is one serve, and it's basically three depending on the cut. Similarly a few ounces is...what? A couple of rashers of bacon? Doesn't this mean that to have a T-bone, you need to eat vegetarian three days a week to save up enough ounces? Actually, my dad ordered a 20oz steak at a restaurant recently. I'm assuming that's the "arrive on plate" weight...isn't that a week's worth of "a few ounces per day"? Even an eight ounce steak means a white meat day somewhere else, right?

[@MewtwoShineX]

Everything in moderation. Also, *everything* causes cancer. Oh, you're alive? You're at a risk for cancer. ;D

[@zukodude487987]

Ye, this video totally had nothing to do with bias. After all, he eats meat, meat makes you unbiased. I bet you also reviewed all 800 studies and didn't cherry pick the ones conforming to a bias.

[@paige.campbell]

Who's paying you?

[@juliusdictatorperpetuus2147]

Illuminati

[@thebluefarmer6406]

This guy is shilling to his own lifestyle and to his audience.

[@SurmaSampo]

+The Blue Farmer No, this guy is a professional medical research analyst.

[@Loathomar]

+The Blue Farmer That's right, anyone who does not agree with you lifestyle choice is a shill. Fuck the empirical date, if he does not agree with your view he is a shill.

[@thebluefarmer6406]

The WHO put out the empirical data. It said meat is dangerous. The host is saying yeah its dangerous but it will only shorten your life a little so do whatever you want. a couple percent increase in mortality can mean 20 years for some or little to none for others. Meat tards focus on the 100 year old who made it through and ignore the heap of dead bodies.

[@Loathomar]

The Blue Farmer No, the WHO READ the empirical data and it said PROCESSED meat is dangerous. It also stated that red meat MIGHT be dangerous and it say NOTHING on meat as a whole. All of this is explained in the video along with HOW dangerous it has been shown to be, which is real but not very high in comparison to others in the same category. The difference between all Americans eat processed meat or not is less then 9,000 deaths per year. The difference between just 17% of Americans smoking is 145,000 JUST in lung cancer.

[@thebluefarmer6406]

Loathomar Oh just 9000 dead americans. You're right three 9-11's per year is fine. Are you a meat eater? If so is there a chance you are emotionally invested in this murderous death cult known as the meat, egg, and dairy industry? Be open minded to the fact that this is a perverse way of living.

[@flipstonez]

Hahaha this channel is a joke. People love hearing good things about their bad habits. What a clown. If you eat multiple servings of whole foods plant based food you will be ok. Even healthier. But meat is not. I wonder why!? Durrrrrr.

[@GuyWithAnAmazingHat]

+DeluxeGods Seems like you didn't watch the video, and if you've watched it, even worse, you couldn't process any of the information.

[@SUPREMEdiver33]

omg this ^

[@flipstonez]

GuyWithAnAmazingHat elaborate

[@AlexOjideagu2]

+DeluxeGods You're an idiot. Humans have been eating meat for 2 million years

[@alexojideagu]

+DeluxeGods Wow what a retarded argument. Rape is not essential for mankind. Eating meat was essential to power our brain