Thursday Aug 21, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- A review study confirms eating red meat is associated with increased risk of stomach cancer or gastric cancer.

The meta-analysis of data from 18 studies involving 1,228,327 participants finds men and women in the highest category of red meat intake 37% more likely than those in the lowest category to be diagnosed with gastric cancer.  The association was more significant in cases-control studies than cohort studies. 

Although no trial has proved the increased risk of stomach cancer is caused by red meat consumption, a few reasons prompt us to believe that the association is a causal relation.   Red meat intake may increase the risk of stomach cancer through a few mechanisms.  1), High concentrations of heme iron can promote lipid oxidation generating cancer-causing reactive oxygen species. 2), Processed red meat can contain nitrites and nitrates, which can lead to the formation of cancer-causing agents call nitrosamines. 3), Also at high cooking temperature, red meat can produce carcinogens including heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS) during the cooking process.  4), If the red meat is smoked, then the smokes can also contain some cancer-causing agents like benzo-a pyrene.  (David Liu, PHD)

Peng Song, Ming Lu, Qin Yin, Lei Wu, Dong Zhang, Bo Fu, Baolin Wang, Qinghong Zhao, Red meat consumption and stomach cancer risk: a meta-analysis, Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, June 2014, Volume 140, Issue 6, pp 979-992