Sat, 19 Jul 2008
Red Meat Worries
It's been a while since I've posted anything on health related issues, but this was too interesting not to mention. Scientists have discovered a small but important difference between man and other primates. We lack the ability to process an a sugar that is present in red meat that other primates can process. The sugar is called Neu5Gc. There's a suspicion that this inability is the cause of degenerative illnesses such as arthritis, heart disease, and cancer.
Prof Varki found that Neu5Gc was foreign to humans, even though we carry a very similar version of the same molecule - which may be one reason why animal-to-human organ and tissue transplants do not work well.
But in recent years, he has come to believe that the implications of this molecular difference are much wider. He has built up a range of evidence that potentially links Neu5Gc, a so-called sialic acid, to chronic disease.
This is because the animal version is absorbed by humans as a result of eating red meat and milk products, and there is evidence that the body views it as an invader.
Eating these foods could trigger inflammation and, over the long term, heart disease, certain cancers and auto-immune illnesses. Prof Varki stresses, however, that "we have not proven any link to disease, just suggested that it is something to explore".
