Rare good news...eating more meat may help you beat cancer

EATING meat may not trigger cancer - but could help us fight the disease, a controversial study claims.

- By Chris Riches

Red meat, including beef, pork, lamb and mutton, is a known source of protein and vitamins.

But experts have warned against it for years and the World Health Organisation has called the foods "probably carcinogenic to humans".

Now, Canada's McMaster University has suggested animal protein might protect against cancer deaths rather than cause them.

Trial

Researchers looked at how much animal and plant protein 16,000 people aged 19 and older ate.

Their results not only showed no animal or plant protein association to a risk of death from any cause, but a "modest but significant reduction" in cancer-related mortality.