A new study suggests that choline, a nutrient found in red meat, poultry and dairy, may contribute to the development of intestinal polyps, which can lead to colon cancer. The study was led by Eunyoung Cho, an epidemiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

The study was of more than 39,000 nurses, who all happened to be women. The women were originally free of colon cancer and then had at least one endoscopic examination performed. Polyps were found in more than 2,400 of the women. Women who ate the most choline were 1.45 times more likely to have polyps. Having more polyps does not necessarily mean more cancer and further studies will have to examine whether those who ate the most choline developed the most tumors, in addition to studying the effects of choline in men.

Cho cautions that this study is preliminary and that dietary changes should not be made as a result of it. According to Regina Ziegler of the NCI who wrote a commentary on the new study, current dietary advice to eat lots of fiber and fruits and vegetables "isn't likely to change even if choline turns out to be a possible villain." As for now, "people shouldn't run out and start either taking more choline or less choline," she said.

Post-menopausal women: stay away from barbecued and smoked meat. Or at least increase your intake of fruit and vegetables.

Why?

Because a new study found that post-menopausal women who ate the most grilled, barbecued, and smoked red meat over a lifetime have a 47 percent higher risk of breast cancer. Those who additionally skimped on fruits and veggies had a 74 percent increase in risk.

Think about this:

During the warmer months, it's all about the barbeque. Of course, we have been known to barbeque during winter in the snow, but for the purpose and timing of this discussion, when it's summer in the northern hemisphere, almost everyone fires up the barbeque. Because research has suggested that barbequing meats can increase cancer risks associated with charred food, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute offers these tips to grilling red meats, poultry and fish safely:

• Choose lean cuts of meat. Trim excess fat and remove the skin.
• Avoid thick marinades, as they increase charring. Use thin marinades that have vinegar or lemon as one of the ingredients.
• Flip burgers once every minute.
• Place food at least six inches away from the heat source.
• Line the grill with perforated aluminum foil to prevent drippings from creating smoke.
• Cook on cedar planks. 
• Consider kabobs. They take less grilling time.
• Consider grilling your favorite vegetables instead of just meat.
  

These tips are followed with some common sense advice. If you avoid charring all the red meat, poultry and fish you barbeque, the expert nutritionists at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute state that your risk of getting cancer from grilling food is extremely low. According to the information, not eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is a bigger risk factor for cancer than eating the occasional barbequed meats. I like common sense perspective.

I'm never quite sure about what foods I should eat and what foods I should not eat. Sometimes I hear that fish is healthy and recommended and then I hear that I should not eat fish at all due to concerns such as mercury levels. It seems that opinion on certain foods -- like fish and carbohydrates and dairy items -- sways and changes, which leaves me uncertain about how I might approach my diet in the best possible way. But opinion on red meat seems to be getting more and more consistent -- as more and more studies indicate that red meat is associated with a variety of health problems. And now red meat appears to raise the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to a Swedish report in the International Journal of Cancer.

More than 61,000 women were studied for possible effects of meat, fish, poultry, and egg consumption. After 17 years, 172 of these women were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and researches say it's because of the red meat. I suppose this could have been a coincidence -- and these women were destined for their diagnoses regardless of diet. But researchers conclude that long-term consumption of red meat is associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer -- one of the most deadly cancers that is seldom detected at an early, curable stage.

The good news from this study -- there does not seem to be a connection between pancreatic cancer and the consumption of fish and eggs. And the consumption of poultry may actually cut the risk of pancreatic cancer.