“Epistemic Certainty Surrounding Dietary Recommendations for Meat”
by Ellen M. Street | Xchanges 12.2/13.1
Appendix
Table One: Statements Containing Boosters
| Source | Booster Statements |
|---|---|
| DGA | “Strong evidence from mostly prospective cohort studies but also randomized controlled trials has shown that eating patterns that include lower intake of meats as well as processed meats and processed poultry are associated with reduced risk of CVD in adults.” |
| AHA | N/A |
| WCRF/AICR | “Processed meat is a convincing cause of colorectal cancer.” “The evidence on processed meat is even more clear-cut than that on red meat…” “The evidence that red meat, and particularly processed meat, is a cause of colorectal cancer is stronger now than it was in the mid-1990s.” “The evidence that red meat is a cause of colorectal cancer is convincing.” |
| Lancet | “substantial epidemiological data showing a positive association between consumption of red meat and colorectal cancer and the strong mechanistic evidence.” “Sufficient evidence linking processed meat to colorectal cancer…” |
| AIM | [Dietary iron, primarily from red meat, is] “positively associated with myocardial infarction and fatal coronary heart disease.” |
| AJE | “…showed a positive association between the consumption of red meat, particularly processed meat, and all-cause mortality.” |
Table Two: Statements Containing Hedges
| Source | Hedge Statements |
|---|---|
| DGA | “…intake of these products can be accommodated as long as sodium, saturated fats, added sugars, and total calories are within limits…” “…lean meats and lean poultry can contribute important nutrients within limits…” “[Protein] choices within these eating patterns may include processed meats as long as you limit sodium, kcals from sat fat and added sugars.” |
| AHA | N/A |
| WCRF/AICR | “The general mechanisms through which red meat could plausibly cause cancer are outlined below.” Processed meats are a “probable cause of stomach cancer.” |
| Lancet | “…the Working Group classified consumption of processed meat as ‘carcinogenic to humans.'” “The Working Group classified consumption of red meat as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans.'” |
| AIM | Secondary products of nitrites are “potential carcinogens.” |
| AJE | “Red meat and processed meat consumption may increase all-cause mortality…” “…high red meat consumption may have adverse health consequences.” |
Tables Three through Eight provide a detailed breakdown of hedges, boosters, directives, medium modality verbs, and indicative present markers for each individual source (the 2015-2020 DGA, the AHA Recommended Dietary Pattern, the AICR/WCRF report, The Lancet Oncology, Archives of Internal Medicine, and the American Journal of Epidemiology). For the complete tables with all marked passages, please see the downloadable PDF.