A new study found that a sugar molecule present in red meat significantly increases one's risk of developing cancer.
Researchers at the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine began the study to determine a link between red meat consumption and increased cancer risk. They examined samples of common foods and found that red meats such as pork, beef and lamb are high in a sugar called Neu5Gc, a foreign molecule that triggers an increase in cancer-forming inflammation.
From this initial finding, the researchers experimented on mice and fed them Neu5Gc. After feeding the mice the foreign sugar, the anti-Neu5Gc antibodies were activated and increased by 500 percent.
"In this case, the foreign sugar is like a Trojan Horse. It becomes part of your own cells. When you react to a peanut or other allergy-causing substance, you're reacting to something foreign. This is the first example we know of something that's foreign, gets totally incorporated into you despite the fact that your immune system recognizes it," study leader Dr. Ajit Varki, a professor of Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, said in a university news release.
The mice were not exposed to other carcinogens prior to the experiment, so the researchers were certain that it was the sugar that increased their cancer risk.
Researchers warned that Neu5Gc is not limited to red meat alone, as it is also found in whole milk, certain cheeses, and fish eggs. They do not recommend avoiding red meat either because it is a rich source of iron. Instead, they suggest eating red meat moderately such as one to three servings per week, according to U-T San Diego.
This study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
