Red and processed meat consumption and cancer outcomes: Umbrella review

Food Chem. 2021 Sep 15:356:129697. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129697. Epub 2021 Mar 27.

Abstract

The purpose of this umbrella review was to evaluate the quality of evidence, validity and biases of the associations between red and processed meat consumption and multiple cancer outcomes according to existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The umbrella review identified 72 meta-analyses with 20 unique outcomes for red meat and 19 unique outcomes for processed meat. Red meat consumption was associated with increased risk of overall cancer mortality, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), bladder, breast, colorectal, endometrial, esophageal, gastric, lung and nasopharyngeal cancer. Processed meat consumption might increase the risk of overall cancer mortality, NHL, bladder, breast, colorectal, esophageal, gastric, nasopharyngeal, oral cavity and oropharynx and prostate cancer. Dose-response analyses revealed that 100 g/d increment of red meat and 50 g/d increment of processed meat consumption were associated with 11%-51% and 8%-72% higher risk of multiple cancer outcomes, respectively, and seemed to be not correlated with any benefit.

Keywords: Cancer; Meta-analysis; Processed meat; Red meat; Systematic review; Umbrella review.

Publication types

  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • DNA Damage / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / pharmacology
  • Iron / pharmacology
  • Meat Products / adverse effects*
  • Neoplasms / etiology*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Red Meat / adverse effects*
  • Risk Factors

Substances

  • Fenton's reagent
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Iron