Researchers Implicate Specific Sugar in Red Meat-Cancer Link

Red meat eating has been linked to cancer before but a new study explains the link.

According to Daily Mail, red meat contains a specific sugar Neu5Gc which is present in most mammals but not humans. Owing to its absence in humans, the body's immune system treats it as a foreign object causing an inflammation reaction and increasing the risk of cancer. The study conducted by University of California in San Diego researchers based its conclusions on mice studies.

"Until now, all of our evidence linking Neu5Gc to cancer was circumstantial or indirectly predicted from somewhat artificial experimental setups. This is the first time we have directly shown that mimicking the exact situation in humans - feeding non-human Neu5Gc and inducing anti-Neu5Gc antibodies - increases spontaneous cancers in mice," said study's principal investigator Ajit Varki, in a news release.

Researchers engineered mice genetically to imitate human conditions without the sugar molecule. Red meat was given to engineered mice and normal mice. The experiment showed that tumor formation increase five fold compared to normal mice. The mice were not exposed to any carcinogenic agents, showing conclusively the link between red meat and cancer.

Studies in the past have linked grilled red meat with cancer. However grilling chicken and fish is not associated with cancer though it produces thes same carcinogenic substances as grilling red meat.

Researchers however advised against eliminating red meat from diet particularly for young people.

"Of course, moderate amounts of red meat can be a source of good nutrition for young people. We hope that our work will eventually lead the way to practical solutions for this catch-22," Dr. Varki said.