Eating meat may provide protection against cancer, according to a new study out of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont.
The study findings, published in the Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism journal in July, looked at nearly 16,000 people and their diets using data from 1988 to 1994. Researchers examined how much animal and plant protein the individuals consumed, and whether they died from heart disease, cancer, or another cause.
The study did not find that eating meat was linked to an increase in the risk of dying from cancer or heart disease—instead, the data showed eating more meat had a “modest but significant” link to reduced cancer death. There was no similar finding for those who ate plant protein….