Search Results for: red meat cancer

Eat Saint Louis Style Pork Ribs, and Reduce your Risk for Heart Disease, Osteoporosis and Other Chronic Diseases

Introduction         Unless you are involved in the culinary arts or the meat industry, you probably haven’t given much thought to the term, “Saint Louis Style Pork Ribs”.   Is this dish some kind of specially spiced, spare rib recipe from St. Louis, MO?  Did it originate in a colorful Saint Louis, 20th century restaurant, or maybe it was first served at a St. Louis Cardinal baseball game in the 1930s?   All three hypotheses seem to be plausible (1).         Saint Louis Style Pork Ribs first and foremost represent a specific butchery cut of pork ribs recognized by the USDA (1).…

Processed, Cured and Smoked Meats: Definitely Not Paleo!

As more and more people adopt the Paleo Diet, controversy has arisen as to which dietary elements actually comprise a contemporary “Paleo Diet”.  Or more precisely, which current foods, food groups or food additives should be included or excluded in modern day diets as we try to emulate the nutritional characteristics of our pre-agricultural ancestors?   A number of popular-day and charismatic bloggers suggest that processed meats such as bacon and other cured, processed and smoked meats should be part of contemporary Paleo Diets on a daily basis (1-3).   Surprisingly, one of the contested elements that charismatic bloggers advocate…

Simple Ways to Reduce Omega-6s and Increase Omega-3s in Your Diet for Better Health

If there’s one area where the nutrition media seems to sing a different and more confusing tune every week, it’s with their messages about fats. Low fat was good for us, now it’s not. Saturated fats may not be the heart-clogging poison we thought. And what exactly are trans fats? It’s enough to make us throw our hands in the air and reach for the nearest burger. Fortunately, one message has been consistent: omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) are extremely beneficial for your overall health.   The problem is, not all sources of omega-3 fatty acids are created equal. In…

North American Plains Indians: Tall and Robust Meat Eaters, But not a Milk Drinker Among Them

George Catlin, the famous chronicler of American Indians, circa 1832, glowingly used these words to describe the Crow Tribe, “They are really a handsome and well-formed set of men as can be seen in any part of the world. There is a sort of ease and grace added to their dignity of manners, which give them the air of gentlemen at once. I observed the other day, that most of them were over six feet high . . .” “It is but to paint a vast country of green field, where the men are all red – where meat is…

Paleo Roasted Red Beet and Tomato Soup

The modern Paleo Diet is focused on lean meats, but we love vegetables too. However, many Westerners need to beef up their vegetable intake because over 87% of adults are not eating enough of them each day.1 Although, the Paleo Diet favors foods with a lower glycemic impact, 2 you can’t beat the nutritional benefits of beets. They are rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, phosphorous, as well as carotene and B complex.3 Beets provide anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and detox support in the body. They also support healthy bile flow,4 stimulate liver cell function, and provide a protective…

“Eating Meat has Known Health Benefits” — WHO

As you probably already heard, earlier this week the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is the World Health Organization’s (WHO) cancer agency, categorized processed meat as “carcinogenic” and unprocessed red meat as “probably carcinogenic.”1 What you might not have heard is that in an accompanying Q&A document, the IARC also said, “Eating meat has known health benefits.”2 Those who read the IARC’s statement and its Q&A document are likely to conclude that this story is nowhere near as dramatic and consequential as headlines from The Guardian, The New York Times, and other news outlets have implied: “Processed…

Paleo Diet Linked to Decreased Colorectal Cancer

According to research recently conducted at Emory University in Atlanta, adherence to the Paleo Diet may significantly slash colorectal cancer rates.1 For their study, published online last month in the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers examined the dietary habits of 2,301 men and women, 30 to 74 years old. Participants were categorized based on how closely their diets resembled the Paleo Diet. Overall, 564 participants developed colorectal adenoma, a benign tumor of the colon or rectum. Scientists classify colorectal adenoma as a precursor to colorectal cancer.2 For women with diets most closely resembling the Paleo Diet, tumor rates fell 29…

Paleo and Breast Cancer Prevention: Is There a Link?

It’s no surprise that eating a diet rich in fresh vegetables, lean meats, wild fish and natural fats, and getting regular exercise is a healthier approach and will lend better odds to your longevity than what has, unfortunately, become the Standard American Approach. It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and you might wonder if eating Paleo can prevent something as widespread as this disease. Sometimes we need to read between the lines and set the word ‘Paleo’ aside for a moment. Return to the basics, precisely what “True Paleo” is all about. So, rather than trying to find studies that prove…

Red Meat and The Paleo Diet: How Often and What Type?

Who doesn’t like a nice, rare filet mignon for dinner?  Or some flank steak, marinated in cumin, orange, lime and garlic, sautéed with peppers and onions and served with Bibb Lettuce warps and guacamole to create Paleo Fajitas? It’s too bad we can’t eat this type of food that often. Or can we? We’ve all heard “Don’t eat red meat more than once per week” and “Always choose the leanest cuts of meat” from not only our doctors, but also from the media. Unfortunately, the misconception that eating red meat, in and of itself, can cause certain types of cancers,…

Carnitine Levels in Red Meat

Below is a recent Q&A with Dr. Cordain:

Hi, Loren

Here I go again with the question of the week. I love my job!

What do you think about carnitine found in high levels in red meat ( and in other products- other meats, sports drinks, etc) and its potential association with formation of coronary…