The Study
Red and processed meat consumption and cancer outcomes: Umbrella review.
This study looks at lots of other studies about meat and cancer. It shows that people who eat more meat tend to get more cancer, but it can't prove that the meat actually causes the cancer because there might be other reasons.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
This study looked at lots of other studies about meat and cancer.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 520 / 100
Quality score
The highest quality evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool randomized controlled trials, giving the most reliable summary of experimental evidence.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, these are big increases in risk for many types of cancer.
- 2Eating more red meat raised cancer risk by 11% to 51% for every extra 100g.
- 3Eating more processed meat raised risk by 8% to 72% for every extra 50g.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Food chemistry
Year
2021
Authors
Yin Huang, D. Cao, Zeyu Chen, Bo Chen, Jin Li, Jianbing Guo, Q. Dong, Liangren Liu, Q. Wei
Related Content
Claims (5)
Eating processed meats like bacon or sausages might raise your chances of dying from cancer or getting certain types of cancer, according to big studies that combine lots of research.
Eating red meat might raise your chances of dying from cancer or getting certain types of cancer, according to big reviews of past research.
Eating more processed meat, like bacon or sausages, might raise your chances of getting different types of cancer. For every extra 50 grams you eat each day, the risk could go up by a lot—anywhere from 8% to 72%.
Eating more red and processed meat doesn't seem to help prevent cancer, according to studies that looked at how much people eat.
Eating more red meat every day might raise your chances of getting different types of cancer by a lot, according to big studies that looked at how much meat people eat.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.