Researchers have recently identified a direct molecular link between meat and dairy-based diets and the development of antibodies in the blood that increase the risk of develop cancer.
The Neu5Gc molecule is one of the two basic types of sialic acids found in the animal kingdom. However, it is absent in humans and birds. On our side, we produce anti-Neu5Gc antibodies during childhood during our first exposure to dairy products and meat.
We have known for several years that there is a correlation between the presence of these antibodies and the risk of developing cancer (especially colorectal cancer). However, until now there was no direct link between these antibodies and the consumption of meat and dairy products. It is now done. Details of this work are published in the journal BMC Medicine .
As part of this research, an international team led by Dr. Vered Padler-Karavani, from Tel Aviv University, initially relied on the NutriNet-Santé study. Launched in France in 2009 by Roselyne Bachelot and led by Pʳ Serge Hercberg, this is a cohort study whose objective is to better assess the relationship between health and nutrition by targeting the participation of 500,000 Internet users. .
Specifically, from this study, the researchers measured the prevalence of Neu5Gc in a variety of common dairy and meat foods in the French diet. They then calculated the daily intake of this molecule in 19,621 adults aged 18 and over . Each had detailed their food consumption online over a period of several days.
The team then selected a representative sample of 120 participants to test the levels of anti-Neu5Gc antibodies in their blood. Based on these results, the researchers then created an index called the Gcemic Index. Basically, the latter classifies foods whose excessive consumption can lead to an increase in antibodies and therefore, as a result, a potential increase in the risk of cancer.
The results are very clear:“We found a significant correlation between a high consumption of Neu5Gc from red meat and cheeses, and an increased development of these antibodies which increase the risk of cancer “, explains Dr. Padler-Karavani.
“For years, efforts have been made to find such a connection, but no one has. Here, for the first time, we were able to find a molecular link thanks to the precision of the methods used to measure antibodies in the blood and the detailed data from the French diet questionnaires ". Naturally, the researchers invite us to reduce our consumption of animal products .
This is not the only study to offer the same type of conclusion. Recently, research has indeed suggested that even small amounts of red meat increase the risk of death . Incidentally, the rise in global consumption of meat and dairy products could also have a devastating impact on the environment in the coming decades.
