The scientific community has been in agreement since the 1970s that consumption of excessive amounts of red meat contributes to contracting several different kinds of cancer, including colorectal cancer and possibly breast cancer as well. The booger-bear in red meat is apparently the fat content, although there is also some evidence that other factors may also contribute to the problem.

The question has been asked: would organically grown red meat be safer for consumption than the meat that is commonly found on the market today? There have been several studies conducted, but there really is not a definitive answer.

The methods used to raise animals for organic meat production are very much different from the common commercial methods. Animals raised commercially are almost always confined to a small area. The theory is that the less they move about, the more quickly they gain weight, and weight is what income is based upon. Also, commercially raised livestock are almost always given antibiotics. These antibiotics are intended to defend the animals against disease – the same antibiotics are toxic to humans. Commercially raised livestock is also given growth hormones to make them grow bigger faster.

The acceptable levels of antibiotics and growth hormones in meat that makes it to the meat department of your local supermarket are regulated by governmental guidelines. And, according to these guidelines, the acceptable levels are not harmful and do no cause cancer in humans – adult humans.

None of the studies that have been conducted can conclude that there is less fat in organically grown beef than in regular commercially grown beef. Neither is there any evidence that the fat in one is any less harmful than the fat in the other.

You must make your own decision about your eating habits. You must decide how much of what presents and acceptable level of risk. For me, I’ll eat organically produced meat. I won’t eat as much as I want, but I will eat some.