Can how often you eat meat raise your risk of colorectal cancer?

In a recent study published in the journal Nutrients , researchers investigated the associations between red- and processed meat consumption and the subsequent risk of colorectal neoplasms. This significant research contributes to the limited body of evidence by focusing on the joint effects of meat consumption and genetic predisposition on the disease risk. Screening colonoscopy data from 7,291 participants and genotyping information from a subset of 4,774 participants were used for the study.

Study findings revealed that while red meats were not statistically associated with an increased risk of colorectal neoplasms, processed meats significantly heightened subsequent risks of developing the condition. Specifically, consuming processed meats more than once per week was associated with an increase in colorectal neoplasm risk, equivalent to having a 19 percentile higher polygenic risk score (PRS). This underscores the importance of limiting processed meat intake as a health behavior that may offset genetic predisposition to colorectal neoplasms.

Study: Red and Processed Meat Intake, Polygenic Risk and the Prevalence of Colorectal Neoplasms: Results from a Screening Colonoscopy Population . Image Credit: Hakase_420 / Shutterstock Background Colorectal cancer (CRC), also called ‘colon’ cancer, is abnormal tissue growth (‘polyps’) on the inner lining of the colon or rectum. It is a severe and often lethal condition, ranking second as the most frequent cause of cancer-rel.