Liza,

The article on sialic acid, which purports to explain the probable adverse
effects of meat consumption, is somewhat misleading (against the backdrop
of controlled observations regarding these postulated adverse effects).
The quote that I will "pick on" is the following:

"Varki, who is not a vegetarian, noted that many studies have linked a
diet rich in meat and milk with cancer, heart disease and other
diseases."

The part that I will "pick on" is cancer, using 3 highly-relevant studies:

Study #1:
A reduction in the status of meats from a probably causal status in
colorectal cancer down to something regarded as possibly causal, but not
longer regarded as
probably causal (research indicates that it is no longer
to be considered a probable cause):

"the relationship between meats in general and colorectal cancer now looks
weaker than the 'probable' status it was judged to have by the WCRF in
1997."

Truswell AS. Meat consumption and cancer of the large bowel. Eur J Clin
Nutr. 2002 Mar;56 Suppl 1:S19-24.


Study #2:
A nonsignificant increase in breast cancer risk in vegetarians (when
adjusted for intake of vegetables and pulses):

"Adjustment for intake of vegetables and pulses reverted the odds of breast
cancer in lifelong vegetarians relative to lifelong meat-eaters (OR=1.04;
95% CI=0.65-1.68) and attenuated the quartile-specific estimates for meat
intake, whereas the inverse trends in the odds of breast cancer with intake
of vegetables and pulses remained after adjustment for type of diet or meat
intake."


Dos Santos Silva I, Mangtani P, McCormack V, Bhakta D, Sevak L, McMichael
AJ. Lifelong vegetarianism and risk of breast cancer: a population-based
case-control study among South Asian migrant women living in England. Int J
Cancer. 2002 May 10;99(2):238-44.


Study #3:
A nonsignificant increase in the overall death rate in vegetarians:

"Comparing vegetarians with nonvegetarians within each cohort, the death
rate ratios (DRRs), adjusted for age, sex and smoking, were 1.03 (0.95,
1.13) in the Health Food Shoppers Study, 1.01 (0.89, 1.14) in the Oxford
Vegetarian Study, and 1.05 (0.86, 1.27) in EPIC-Oxford."

Key TJ, Appleby PN, Davey GK, Allen NE, Spencer EA, Travis RC. Mortality in
British vegetarians: review and preliminary results from EPIC-Oxford. Am J
Clin Nutr. 2003 Sep;78(3 Suppl):533S-538S.


Liza, while
 all that these 3 studies actually show is "statistical
equivalence", this boring fact DOES indeed say something.  It invalidates
the reasoning of those who would attempt to maintain that meats are a
probable cause of disease and early death in humans.  In other words, and
using evidence-based reasoning: one must conclude that the weight of
evidence on the matter, while not conclusive, IS conclusive that meat is
NOT the "health hazard" various PhDs have maintained up to now.

So, let's make sure to take the: "many studies have linked a
diet rich in meat and milk with cancer, heart disease and other
diseases" quote in context of the totality of scientific evidence (and
realize that it is misleading).

Note: Regarding milk consumption, I would have to say that it
appears "guilty as charged" regarding prostate cancer (a "probable" cause).

Ed