Participants: Bill Santos
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC201205
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00:01 >>Bill: On today's "It Is Written" program, another
00:02 installment in our Live Healthy series with 00:04 our specl guest Dr. 00:04 Ferreira. Today, we'll be looking at a study that 00:10 suggests there is a link between the consumption of 00:14 red meat and cancer. I hope you'll join us. "It 00:15 Is Written" begins right now. 00:34 >>Announcer: It has stood the test of time. 00:36 God's book, The Bible. 00:40 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:44 It Is Written. 00:47 Sharing messages of hope around the world. 01:01 >>Bill: Well let me welcome all of our viewers 01:02 to this weeks "It Is Written" program. We're so 01:04 happy that you have joined us today and let me also 01:08 welcome our special guest.>>Dr. Ferreira 01:09 Thank you. >>Bill:.Dr. 01:11 Ferreira. Hey Doctor, how are you? >>Dr. Ferreira: 01:12 I'm fine. Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. 01:14 >>Bill: It's good to have you with us. You know, for 01:16 the benefit of those that may have never had a 01:17 chance to see you on one of our programs.you've 01:20 been on a number of times.maybe you can give 01:22 us a quick biography of who you are. >>Dr. 01:23 Ferreira: Very quick. I'm born of Portuguese 01:27 descent. I was born in Africa, in Angola, and 01:31 lived there for a while and then had to move 01:32 because of the war. Went to Portugal and then went 01:37 back to Africa, but then to South Africa, that's 01:39 where I, that's where I trained as a medical 01:40 doctor. In Cape Town and then worked as a 01:46 missionary in Libya and then from there went to 01:52 the U.K. to the U.S. to do some more studying on 01:53 preventative medicine. And now for the past 10 years 01:57 we've been working in Lisbon, in Portugal, with 02:00 medical work and trying to set up a clinic that will 02:01 help people with lifestyle modification 02:05 to incorporate better lifestyles into their 02:10 lives. So, that's where we are now. >>Bill: I know 02:11 that your passion is the prevention and the 02:16 reversal of illness and sickness in people's lives 02:22 by their lifestyle. By changing lifestyle. >>Dr. 02:23 Ferreira: That right. 02:25 And today we don't think of prevention just as 02:26 preventing things from happening. We think of 02:30 good lifestyle as a matter of, it's treatment. It's 02:34 part of the treatment. So it can be a coagment, for 02:36 example, in many types of therapy. People should 02:40 have a healthy lifestyle Eat better. And then it 02:47 seems that the treatments do work better. So, 02:48 I do believe in a better lifestyle. Yes. >>Bill: 02:54 Well I do believe that that's exactly what God 02:57 desires for all of his children. We live life 02:58 and we live it all more abundantly. >>Dr. 03:01 Ferreira: Yeah. >>Bill: made reference in the 03:04 introduction to this study.>>Dr. Ferreira: Yes. 03:05 >>Bill:.Harvard Medical School study that I think, 03:08 you know, confirmed, at least for me not being a 03:13 physician and not being part of research, you 03:14 know, what anecdotally I believe to be true, that 03:19 eating, consuming more red meat is dangerous. But, 03:23 you know, it caused quite a stir, I think, this 03:24 study. I know as soon as I saw it, I emailed it to 03:28 you right away... >>Dr. 03:28 Ferreira: I saw that. 03:30 >>Bill: ...saying we need to talk about this. 03:31 Let me, I'm just going to quote a couple things 03:35 from it, okay? Is that.it starts by saying that. 04:29 Again, I'm not sure that catches anyone off guard, 04:30 at least not viewers of our program. >>Dr. 04:34 Ferreira: That's right. 04:34 >>Bill: .that have been watching in all the 04:37 segments that you have been talking about risks 04:40 of red meat, but, you know, it, this has created 04:41 quite a stir. >>Dr. 04:46 Ferreira: We've known this for quite some time. I 04:47 remember there was a large study funded by the NIH, 04:51 National Institute of Health in the States. It 04:58 is called the NIHAARP, American Association for 04:59 Retired Persons, so what they did.that was started 05:06 in 1995. What they did, they sent out three and a 05:09 half million questionnaires to retired 05:10 people, okay? So they asked them about their 05:16 lifestyle, you know their eating habits and all that 05:20 and then what happened was that they followed these 05:21 people for 10 years. So, in 2005, 10 years later, 05:25 here's what they found They found that people who 05:31 ate a high calorie, about 2000 calories diet per 05:32 day, and ate about five ounces of red meat a 05:40 day they had a risk of dying over 10 years 30% 05:43 higher..>>Bill: Oh my goodness. >>Dr. 05:44 Ferreira:.than people who ate fewer calories and 05:50 ate an average of about two-thirds of an ounce of 05:55 red meat per day. Which is, you know, two-thirds 05:56 of an ounces, that's probably a hamburger 06:00 and a half per week. 06:00 So, you find these big differences. Thirty 06:05 percent higher risk. So we've known this for some 06:10 time and now the relationship is there. And 06:11 there, very specifically, although it, I believe it 06:19 does affect other cancers but now the data that we 06:25 have it sort of hones on to colorectal cancer 06:26 That's a, that's a big one. It's maybe.>>Bill: 06:31 For those consuming a lot of red meat. >>Dr. 06:37 Ferreira: For those consuming a lot of red 06:38 meat. There's also a link with pancreatic cancer. 06:39 There is a possible link to breast cancer, 06:44 especially in premenopausal women. And 06:45 so, the relationship is there. Now, why does it 06:50 happen? Well, let's, we can talk about that for a 06:55 while but they're different ideas. >>Bill: 06:55 The study seemed to suggest that one of the 07:00 correlations was in the saturated fat. >>Dr. 07:03 Ferreira: That's right, yes. >>Bill: Particularly 07:04 with the unprocessed meats. With the processed 07:06 meats the elevated levels of sodium made that 07:09 reference. Is that something that.>>Dr. 07:10 Ferreira: That's right. 07:15 Yes. The red meat is usually a meat that is 07:15 high is saturated fat. 07:21 Unlike fish which is higher in polyunsaturated 07:22 fatty acids. So the red meat, the type of fat that 07:27 red meat has is not the best type of fat for us. 07:32 So that's a given. We've known that for a long 07:33 time. But it seems to go further than the fat. 07:39 >>Bill: Not just the saturated fat. >>Dr. 07:41 Ferreira: I don't think it's just the saturated 07:42 fat. You know, the study is showing that there's 07:44 something else, okay? Now, let's take, for example, 07:48 the compounds or the chemicals that are 07:49 produced when we charcoal broil meat, which 07:53 barbeques are very, very common.>>Bill: Yes. >>Dr. 08:01 Ferreira:..in many parts of the world. They're 08:02 common in North America and they are common in 08:04 Western Europe, they're common, for example, in 08:09 South Africa. It's very common every weekend 08:10 to have what we call a 'brae', okay, which is 08:13 what we call a barbeque So, it seems that, and 08:18 there is a .that has been known for quite a while, 08:19 that broiling, charcoal broiling the meat produces 08:28 chemicals, okay, the mixture of the protein and 08:36 nitrates, nitrates present in the meat, present 08:37 also in certain types of vegetables, they combine 08:43 and they form what are called nitroso compounds, 08:49 okay? Which are very carcinogenic. So when we 08:50 put meat on the barbeque we must be aware of that. 08:58 You know, and it needs the high temperature. So, it 09:02 needs high temperatures, it needs the protein, it 09:03 needs the, for example, when fat falls onto 09:13 the coals and then what happens? It burns and then 09:18 that smoke comes up.>>Bill: Yes. >>Dr. 09:19 Ferreira:.and so the meat is not only charcoal 09:21 broiled, it is also smoked, okay. >>Bill: Yes. 09:23 Okay. >>Dr. Ferreira: So, that smoke goes onto the 09:24 meat and it carries those dangerous substances. 09:28 Okay, so it's and these nitroso compounds, they 09:34 seem to increase the risk of certain types of 09:35 cancer. And why red meat? 09:43 Red meat is rich in what we call hemoglobin okay 09:44 It's a type of, or heme iron, it's a type 09:51 of iron, the compound that incorporates the iron that 10:00 is present in red meat. And that's also 10:01 a co-factor in the production of those 10:03 carcinogenic substances so, you know, there's a 10:08 lot to it. It's not just the fat. It's other things 10:09 related to the red meat and now, we'll talk 10:15 about that a little bit later, we're finding a 10:18 relationship between red meat and cancer by via 10:19 a completely different pathway which is viruses. 10:23 >>Bill: Okay, we want to get to that but I think 10:28 you made an extremely important point here 10:29 Because if the issue is focused only on the 10:34 saturated fat the tendency is for folks to say, well 10:38 then I'm just going to buy leaner cuts of meat. Or if 10:39 they say well, the problem is the antibiotics that 10:45 they have to inject well, I'm just going to go buy 10:49 organic, you know, grown, you know, meat, you know, 10:50 from a local farm, no antibiotics. But if you're 10:55 saying even in the cooking of it. I mean, it's almost 11:00 as, it sounds to me as a lay person almost it's an 11:01 unavoidable risk. >>Dr. 11:06 Ferreira: Pretty much so, yes. >>Bill: I mean, it's 11:07 there. It's, you can't really get away from 11:11 it outside of looking at potentially an alternative 11:15 to the red meat. I mean, am I exaggerating that 11:16 >>Dr. Ferreira: It's there. We can eat less 11:19 fat, meat with less fat People can say, well, let 11:26 me go to the white meats, the turkey, the chicken 11:27 And it is true that this stage there seems not to 11:31 be a correlation between that and cancer but the 11:37 studies, they're very confusing. Because people 11:38 who usually choose the white meats, they 11:44 are often more health conscience. Okay, so, 11:48 there may be other things that may be 11:49 protecting.>>Bill: Oh, I see what you're saying. 11:54 >>Dr. Ferreira:.against cancer so, even though, 11:55 while doing these studies we trying and, sort of, 11:56 dissect all of these, it's impossible. Because the 12:01 reality is that people who eat that, the white meat, 12:05 often have a healthier lifestyle. >>Bill: Got it. 12:06 >>Dr. Ferreira: So, you can't say well, the white 12:10 meats do not cause cancer at this age. There is very 12:15 little that goes in that direction but I 12:16 personally, my personal belief is it's a matter 12:20 of time and perhaps better designed studies then we 12:23 will have that. >>Bill: Now, you've raised 12:24 something here that I don't think I'd ever heard 12:28 of, that you were saying that the correlation 12:31 between red meat and cancers but via viruses 12:32 >>Dr. Ferreira: Viruses, yes. >>Bill: Now, I had 12:36 never heard this before. 12:37 >>Dr. Ferreira: Yes. Now, we do know that viruses 12:39 can be associated with certain types of cancers. 12:46 For example, we know that Hepatitis B virus and 12:47 Hepatitis B infection is a very common infection for 12:51 people who've survived acute Hepatitis attack. 12:57 So, they can continue to be carriers and so on but 12:58 we know that people who have Hepatitis B infection 13:05 they are at a higher risk of developing cancer of 13:10 the liver. So, the virus itself changes the DNA of 13:11 the cells, the liver cells and makes them at higher 13:17 risk of having cancer later on in life. And it 13:23 can take years. It can take 10 years, 15 years, 13:24 20 years, 25 years, okay. 13:27 Now, recently, more recently we know that the 13:29 Human Papilloma Virus is one of the causative 13:37 effectors in cancer of the cervix, in women. Okay, 13:44 and we know that there's now a new vaccine.>>Bill 13:45 Yeah, okay, so that's what that vaccine, that's where 13:49 that vaccine, okay.>>Dr. 13:49 Ferreira: So what happens is that the vaccine 13:51 against Hepatitis B is reducing the number of 13:55 cases of liver cancer resulting from Hepatitis 13:56 B infection. Immunization against HPV is lowering 14:01 the number of cases of cancer, of cervical 14:09 cancer. So we've known that the relationship is 14:10 there. Now, in fact, we've known that about 20% of 14:13 all cancers have got a relationship with some 14:18 type of infection. It's not all lifestyle. It's 14:19 not all, well, lifestyle includes behaviours and 14:27 behaviours can be high risk and low risk so it's 14:31 just not a matter of eating. So, infections, 14:31 we've known that for a long time. It seems that 14:36 these numbers are about to grow because there is 14:38 epitilogical studies recently and there's a 14:39 very nice, very simple, but very nice report 14:48 that was published in the International Journal of 14:53 Cancer just in, just a few months ago, December 14:54 2011; and where Professor Houseman, he was a Nobel 14:57 Prize winner.>>Bill: Okay. >>Dr. Ferreira:.for 15:04 medicine in 2008, and he came up and he looked at 15:05 all the data and he said, you know, there is enough 15:08 evidence here to suggest there is an infectious 15:13 process in colorectal cancer, so cancer of the 15:14 colon and the rectum, and to suggest that there is 15:23 viral implications. So, it's complex and he's a 15:26 virologist himself so, he's a, you know, very, 15:27 very into that and now other reports are coming 15:36 out with that. So, the idea is this. Viruses that 15:41 are present in beef, okay, and do not usually cause 15:42 disease in the animals, as we eat the meat we are 15:51 ingesting these viruses And these viruses have the 16:00 ability to produce changes in the body incorporating 16:01 part of their DNA into our DNA and then later one, it 16:04 may not be the following week, or the following 16:08 month, or the following year, but later on, could 16:09 be years it can turn these normal cells of our 16:11 bodies, you know, we're talking about the colon, 16:16 it can turn them into malignant cells. And 16:17 so now there's a lot of exploration now in that 16:23 area and I believe that in the next few years we'll 16:27 be seeing more and more studies in this area 16:28 >>Bill: Wow. That's, I, you know, you say that's 16:32 been around. That's something that I'd never, 16:35 I'd never heard before. 16:36 I mean we do come across, every so often, 16:39 individuals that, you know, you know have 16:40 extremely healthy lifestyle and you 16:45 sometimes wonder, I'm not suggesting that this is 16:47 the cause but you wonder sometimes, 'man, 16:48 the person's got such a healthy lifestyle' but 16:50 in a particular case I know right now of rectal 16:54 cancer. Wow, the person has a healthy lifestyle 16:55 and looks after themselves and I get some of these 17:00 things we just don't know >>Dr. Ferreira: We don't 17:06 know. And these are just a few things we do know 17:07 but my guess is that a lot that we don't. >>Bill: But 17:13 we're always talking about reducing risk, reducing 17:14 the risks and eliminating those things that we can, 17:16 that we know are going to beneficial.>>Dr. 17:20 Ferreira: That's right, yes. >>Bill:.you know, are 17:22 going to help us. 17:23 And so, that is, that is very interesting. So, the 17:28 virus's carried within the actual beef, the red meat, 17:29 being transferred to the actual person that's 17:33 consuming that. >>Dr. 17:34 Ferreira: Yes. That is present in bovines, you 17:38 know beef, and you know, one could think that 17:46 although there is no data for this but one could 17:47 think that this is also happening with poultry, 17:49 with chicken and ducks and so on. Because if you look 17:56 at how animals are raised today, animal husbandry, 17:57 okay, if you look at how cows are raised and how 18:05 chickens are raised it's just incredible to see the 18:09 amount of stress these chickens are under in 18:10 a poultry farm.>>Bill: Right. >>Dr. Ferreira: 18:15 mean, within a few weeks they are ready to be 18:17 killed and sold and for that to happen they 18:18 need to be overfed; overstimulated to grow, 18:23 with lights so that a natural hormone is 18:30 produced so that they grow faster; they have to be 18:31 given, you know, because they are so stressed in 18:36 such a confined space, the food that they eat may not 18:40 be what they'd normally eat outside, you know, the 18:41 high protein, many times they include, actually, 18:46 they include animals in the food that they feed 18:52 the chickens and the cows and so on. And so, they 18:54 are under a lot of stress and so these chickens 18:57 under a lot of stress they're just like humans. 18:59 They do get sick. And in order to prevent them from 19:00 dying from those simple illnesses like mild 19:06 infections that in a normal chicken might not 19:09 cause any problems, they are given either 19:10 antibiotics and antifungals, you know, 19:14 to treat and sometimes they are given 19:18 prophylactically, actually many times. Even before 19:19 they get sick they're just given so that they don't 19:23 get sick. So, chickens are produced under this 19:27 environment and no wonder, you know, a lot of 19:28 infections they're just a pea tree dish, they are 19:33 incubators for infections, then we go and eat the 19:36 meat. So, I wouldn't be surprised that these 19:37 results would not be shown only for red meats but 19:41 in a few years' time we'll be talking about the white 19:44 meat as well. So, and it is clear, the relationship 19:45 is at least now for the red meat. >>Bill: Nowadays 19:53 I, you know, I've stopped eating red meat and the 19:58 reality is it really isn't that tough. I mean there's 19:59 the taste that, you know, you like but any grocery 20:07 store you go into today you find so many other 20:13 non-animal based proteins and you know, 20:14 so many options. So many cookbooks; so many 20:23 restaurants offering vegan or vegetarian options. I 20:31 mean, 30 years ago when my mother, 35 years ago, 20:32 became a vegetarian, you know, it was a challenge 20:35 in a lot of places her getting some options. But 20:40 nowadays really.>>Dr. 20:40 Ferreira: No. It's common. 20:41 It's found everywhere. 20:44 >>Bill: It's everywhere you go. There's, you know, 20:45 there's options for us. I know there's a lot of fear 20:47 for folks, you know if I'm going to cut out my red 20:51 meat where am I going to get my protein from? Iron 20:52 Maybe you could talk a little bit about some of 20:55 those perceptions. >>Dr. 20:56 Ferreira: Yes I can. Yes, yes. You know in fact, 21:00 we're finding that the iron, the idea that we 21:07 need to get a lot of iron to be healthy. That idea 21:08 has been dethroned. In fact, it can work against 21:14 you. The more iron you have, the more risk, for 21:20 example, for cancer, diabetes, and so on. So 21:21 that, so we need iron but we need a reasonable 21:26 amount of iron. We don't need a lot of it and too 21:31 little is not too good. 21:31 And you can find other sources of iron. You take, 21:36 for example, you take soy, you take dark green leafy 21:37 vegetables, they do have iron. And there are many 21:46 other suggestions. Just go on Google and put iron 21:53 sources in plant-based diets or something like 21:54 that and you'll have lists of that. So, iron is not 22:00 a problem. There's iron in vegetables and it's a 22:05 slightly different iron. 22:06 Well, the iron is the same but the way it's packaged 22:11 it's slightly different but the body can use 22:12 it, okay. So, about the protein, well, that's 22:15 even easier. You have, for example, very good sources 22:20 for people who are lacto-ova vegetarians, of 22:21 course the dairy and the eggs are rich in 22:26 protein; and so for those who wish not to be lacto 22:31 vegetarians they would prefer something without 22:32 any animal products for whatever reason it 22:36 is, okay, there are good sources. For example, soy 22:39 is a very good source of protein. >>Bill: Okay. 22:40 >>Dr. Ferreira: The soy bean, it's an excellent 22:44 bean. It even has more protein than the normal 22:50 beans and it's well balanced. Soy is actually 22:51 a well-balanced protein. 22:55 And then you've got derivatives from soy. For 22:56 example, tofu, which is one of them and you've got 22:59 soy milk and even the soy alternatives to meat. They 23:07 taste almost like meat. 23:07 Often are not the best ones because they put a 23:14 lot of fat in them but they are good alternatives 23:15 and you've got the beans. 23:18 >>Bill: And even if someone was transitioning, 23:19 it's a nice transition phase. >>Dr. Ferreira: 23:21 Exactly. You know, sometimes when I travel we 23:25 go for a picnic with the family I take some sausage 23:26 made from soy and it makes a very nice hot dog and 23:29 the kids love it. They feel they're not missing 23:34 out on anything that their friends are taking. So, 23:35 there are alternatives and they're not needed for 23:43 people to eat red meat >>Bill: Now, there's one 23:47 of the B vitamins, is it B12 or B6? >>Dr. Ferreira: 23:48 B12. >>Bill: B12, okay. 23:50 >>Dr. Ferreira: B12 is only present in animal 23:50 products. >>Bill: So how would someone get that 23:53 if not in.>>Dr. Ferreira: If they're lacto-ova 23:56 vegetarian and they're taking an egg, you know, 23:57 three times a week and yogurt once or twice 23:59 a day and milk, so that shouldn't be a problem. We 24:04 need so little that, you know, like the equivalent 24:05 of two cups, two glasses of milk or a glass of 24:09 milk and a yogurt, that's enough for the lacto 24:16 vegetarians. For total vegetarians I recommend 24:17 that you get fortified food. For example, we can 24:22 soya milk or almond milk that's been fortified with 24:25 B12. So, that's an easy alternative here. Or what 24:26 I actually recommend and do it myself, that's a B12 24:31 supplement. You need very little B12. But twice a 24:37 week or once a week you take just enough and it 24:38 should cover you. Talk to your doctor. Go to your 24:44 doctor and say I want to do this, I want to be a 24:49 vegetarian or whatever, I'm worried about my B12 24:50 what do you recommend? And they will prescribe 24:53 some. you can get over the counter as well. So 24:57 that's, today is not a problem, 20 years ago, 25 24:58 years ago, yes, it would be more difficult. >>Bill: 25:01 Lots of options, you know, what we need is the, you 25:08 know, the power of the Holy Spirit because I 25:09 don't think willpower alone is enough. I think 25:15 you need power, the power that.>>Dr. Ferreira: 25:17 That's right, yes. 25:18 >>Bill:.God gives to say listen, these are the 25:22 kinds of changes that you need to make and 25:22 preferably you make them before, before you are 25:25 sick. >>Dr. Ferreira: Before it's too late. 25:27 >>Bill: Yes, before it's too late. And so, that's 25:28 what.so listen, our time just zips right past. 25:31 >>Dr. Ferreira: Yes, yes. 25:32 >>Bill: We appreciate, always appreciate your 25:33 insights. Let's have a word of prayer with our 25:36 viewers. Gracious, loving, heavenly Father we thank 25:37 you for your love and your kindness, your mercy you 25:40 show upon each and every one of us. Father, I pray 25:44 for those that right now they listen to this and 25:45 they say these are the kinds of changes I need to 25:48 make in my life. Father, may you send your Holy 25:52 Spirit to them the power and the courage and 25:53 motivation to make the kinds of changes because 25:58 what you want for each of your children is that we 26:01 live life and we live it more abundantly. Please 26:02 Father get us to that point. I pray 26:06 in Jesus' name. Amen. 26:06 >>Dr. Ferreira: Amen. 26:24 >>Bill: You know, to help you begin to make some of 26:25 these lifestyle changes and incorporate into your 26:30 life some of the things you've been hearing on the 26:32 program we'd like to make some resources available 26:33 to you. We have a wonderful magazine that 26:36 will give you information that you need to make the 26:40 kinds of lifestyle changes that are necessary to 26:41 live life and live it more abundantly. It is our 26:45 gift to you. Here is the information you need to 26:48 get your copy. 27:49 >>Bill: Well, doctor, that's it. That's the end 27:50 of the program. Thank you so much for being here. 27:53 Thank.>>Dr. Ferreira: You're welcome. 27:54 >>Bill:.you for your counsel. >>Dr. Ferreira: 27:55 It's been a pleasure. 27:56 >>Bill: We appreciate it, always, very much. And 27:57 we appreciate our viewers tuning in every week to 27:59 watch us also. Thank you for spending this half 28:02 hour with us. You know while you're away this 28:03 week you can always visit the website 28:05 itiswrittencanada.ca. 28:06 All of the programs are archived on the website; 28:09 you can send prayer requests; you can even 28:14 make an online donation to this ministry if you feel 28:15 so impressed to do so and we can sure use 28:18 the financial help. We're praying that the good Lord 28:23 will allow us the privilege of being back 28:24 together again next week. 28:27 I hope you will join us for that. Until then, 28:28 remember, it is written; man shall not live by 28:33 bread alone but by every word that proceeds from 28:36 the mouth of God. 28:41 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ |
Revised 2015-02-06