SACN red meat intake report

[Paul Mobbs]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Pity this report doesn't look at the non-meat sources of iron in more detail 
- -- the assumption seems to be that there is no alternative to meat to obtain 
either iron or protein.

Even so, placing a limit of 70g/day on meat intake will worry the hell out of 
the mean industry. 40% of men and 10% of women in the UK eat more than 
90g/day, and heeding this message would hit UK agriculture, which specialises 
primarily in meat and cereals (a large proportion of UK cereals also go into 
animal feed), causing the industry to contract or otherwise find some other 
commodity to specialise in.

You can download the SACN report at 
http://www.sacn.gov.uk/pdfs/sacn_iron_and_health_report_web.pdf


P.



http://www.sacn.gov.uk/reports_position_statements/reports/sacn_iron_and_health_report.html

SACN Iron and Health Report

25th February 2010


In 1998, the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA), 
in their report, Nutritional Aspects of the Development of Cancer, recommended 
that high consumers of red and processed meat should consider reducing their 
intakes because of possible links with a risk of colorectal cancer. However, 
since red and processed meat are sources of iron in the UK diet, COMA 
recommended that the possible adverse nutritional implications of a reduction 
in red and processed meat intakes should be assessed. The present report has 
been prepared in response to COMA’s recommendation.

The report considers the potential adverse effects of both low iron intake and 
excess.  As well as considering the implications of a reduction in meat 
consumption on the iron status of the UK population, the report also examines 
associations between red and processed meat and cancer risk.

The main recommendations of the report are:

    * While most people in the UK are iron replete, health professionals need 
to be alert to increased risk of iron deficiency anaemia in toddlers, girls and 
women of reproductive age (particularly those from low income groups) and some 
adults aged over 65 years.  Those with symptoms suggesting iron deficiency 
anaemia should receive appropriate clinical assessment and advice, including 
dietary advice on how to increase their iron intakes and to consider use of 
iron supplements if required.

    * A healthy balanced diet, which includes a variety of foods containing 
iron, will help people achieve adequate iron status.  Such an approach is more 
important than consuming iron-rich foods at the same time as foods/drinks that 
enhance iron absorption (e.g., fruit juice, meat) or not consuming iron rich 
foods with those that inhibit iron absorption (e.g., tea, coffee, milk).
       
    * Adults with relatively high intakes of red and processed meat (around 90 
g/day or more) should consider reducing their intakes.  A reduction to the UK 
population average for adult consumers (70 g/day cooked weight) would have 
little impact on the proportion of the adult population with low iron intakes.


- -- 

.

"We are not for names, nor men, nor titles of Government,
nor are we for this party nor against the other but we are
for justice and mercy and truth and peace and true freedom,
that these may be exalted in our nation, and that goodness,
righteousness, meekness, temperance, peace and unity with
God, and with one another, that these things may abound."
(Edward Burrough, 1659 - from 'Quaker Faith and Practice')

Paul's book, "Energy Beyond Oil", is out now!
For details see http://www.fraw.org.uk/mei/ebo/

Read my 'essay' weblog, "Ecolonomics", at:
http://www.fraw.org.uk/mei/ecolonomics/

Paul Mobbs, Mobbs' Environmental Investigations
3 Grosvenor Road, Banbury OX16 5HN, England
tel./fax (+44/0)1295 261864
email - mobbsey at gn.apc.org
website - http://www.fraw.org.uk/mei/index.shtml
public key - http://www.fraw.org.uk/mei/mobbsey-2011.asc

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v2.0.16 (GNU/Linux)
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=r+vl
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----