Todd Moody asked:
> Does anyone have any idea why red meat consumption, in study
> after study, seems to turn up as the main risk factor for colon
> cancer?

There is a strong link between our well being and carotenoids.

Vegetable based diets which are high in carotenoids are associated with
lower incidence of certain types of cancer.

Carotenoids prevent the formation of carcinogens that promote tumor
development.  The reduction of oxidative cellular damage inhibits cancer
growth.

There are over 600 known carotenoids but beta carotene, lutein and
lycopene appear to be the major players and they must come from dietary
sources as humans have no ability to synthesize them.

I feel it is fairly easy to see why vegetable source carotenoids as
compared to animal source are studied and conclusions made about the
"goodness" of vegetable source diets and the "badness" of red muscle
meat diets:

Which would you rather dine on?
- carrots OR liver, kidney or ovary organs for beta carotene?
- tomatoes OR testes for lycopene?
- orange juice OR eyeballs for lutein?

~~~~~~~
reference: Britton, G. "Structure and properties of carotenoids in
relation to function," FASEB Journal, 9: 1551-8, 1995
~~~~~~

aside: if ever you are an "Honored" Guest at a Cantonese Meal, the
eyeballs from a steamed fish will be reserved for your dining pleasure
-- your declining such a "Honor" would be extremely offensive to your
host.