Lymphoma

Meat Raises Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Risk
Meat consumption appears to increase the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), a cancer of white blood cells. Data collected from 88,410 women in the Harvard Nurses' Health Study over a 14-year period showed that those eating beef, pork, or lamb daily were more than twice as likely to develop NHL, compared with those who consumed these products less often or not at all. Meats contain carcinogenic heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that form from creatine, amino acids, and sugars found in animal muscle tissues. Trans fats, commonly found in baked goods and snack foods, also increased risk.

The take-home message is to avoid meats and to look on package labels for "partially hydrogenated oils," which indicates the presence of trans fats.

Zhang S, Hunter DJ, Rosner BA, et al. Dietary fat and protein in relation to risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma among women. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1999;91:1751-8.

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