LONDON – Follow-up: Scientists at the Institute for Health Metrics and Futures Evaluation at the University of Washington conducted a study to assess the evidence of health risks associated with smoking, red meat intake and amount of vegetables in the diet.
And the journal Nature Medicine notes that the rating of the relationship between the habit and a particular disease ranged from one to five stars.
The results led to a five-star rating of the relationship between smoking and lung cancer, meaning there is strong evidence for a cause and effect relationship. As for the relationship between unprocessed red meat consumption and colon cancer, it was rated only two stars, meaning the evidence for this relationship is weak or contradictory.
The same was true for the association between consumption of unprocessed red meat and breast cancer, diabetes and ischemic disease. The results of the study also rated the relationship between vegetable consumption and the reduction of the risk of ischemia and hemorrhagic stroke with two stars.
According to the researchers, these findings do not demonstrate the harm or benefit of consuming the produce, but rather show the level of confidence in the claims that red meat causes bowel cancer and that an abundance of greens in the diet ensures exceptional health.
