Red meat has been getting a lot of attention lately, but now chicken and white meat can join the list, as researchers report it’s the way the meat is cooked that can be cancer-causing.
The amount of meat consumed is also important, according to the study authors. The elevated kidney cancer risk is associated with consuming more meat, as both red and white meat resulted in increased risk, explained author and physician Xifeng Wu.
Burning or charring meat creates cancer-causing substances, according to Wu.
READ MORE: How much processed meat and red meat should you be eating?
The study authors write that, “cooking meat at high temperatures or over an open flame, such as when barbecuing or pan-frying, is known to result in the formation of carcinogens…”
It’s the job of the kidneys to flush out any toxins.
“The kidney is a biochemically active organ responsible for filtering many harmful toxins from the body, and therefore it makes sense to investigate the effects of dietary intake, including carcinogens, on kidney cancer risk,” said Stephanie Melkonian, postdoctoral fellow, epidemiology and lead author of the study.
Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, led by Wu, studied the diet and genetic risk factors of 659 patients newly diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma and 699 healthy controls. The study was published in the journal Cancer.
Researchers also reported that individuals with specific genetic mutations are more susceptible to the harmful compounds created when cooking at high temperatures.
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Last month, the World Health Organization’s, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) released a controversial report that stated that processed meats such as sausages, deli meat and bacon cause cancer and that red meat probably does.
READ MORE: WHO: Processed meat can increase risk of cancer; red meat risky too
“Our findings support reducing consumption of meat, especially meat cooked at high temperatures or over an open flame as a public health intervention to reduce RCC (kidney cancer) risk and burden,” said Wu.
The researchers do not suggest that individuals should remove meats completely from their diets, but rather consume it in moderation, as part of a well-balanced diet, complete with fruits and vegetables. When grilling or pan-frying meat, try to avoid charring it as much as possible, suggest the researchers.
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