There have been rumors floating around lately that the consumption of red meat can lead to a higher chance of getting certain kinds of cancer, but is there any truth to it?

The idea that red meat could cause cancer took social media by storm and brought heart break to meat lovers everywhere.

The story broke out on news sites everywhere after WHO (World Health Organization) released a report stating that processed meats such as bacon, hot dogs, beef jerky, etc. are high in carcinogens (“substances capable of causing cancer”).

The main reason why people were taken aback by this was because processed meats were placed on the same level of harm as cigarettes.

This then lead to the claim/rumor that eating meat is just as dangerous as smoking cigarettes.

The good news is, eating red and or processed meats is not nearly as dangerous as smoking, and eating meat in general doesn’t directly give you cancer.

The bad news is, whether or not they give you cancer, consumption of red and processed meats still isn’t very good for you.

According to Dr. Kurt Straif, the doctor in charge of the IARC Monographs Program, “For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed…”

In short, this only further proves the saying that too much of anything isn’t good for you.

For all you avid meat eaters out there, don’t worry, that quarter pounder won’t be the death of you, but keep in mind everything is moderation!