If you needed yet another reason to eat less meat, listen up, Green Monsters.

With evidence mounting that heavy meat consumption could be as directly correlated with cancer as smoking, meat probably isn’t doing your body any favors. This just in: we’ve known since 1907 that meat could be correlated with cancer risk.

This week, Dr. Neal Barnard (via Forks Over Knives) cited a Sept. 4, 1907 New York Times article titled “Cancer Increasing Among Meat Eaters.” The story described a seven-year study which revealed that meat eaters were at a higher cancer risk than those who chose other foods (like veggies!). The study focused primarily on immigrants who had left the traditional plant-based diets of their homelands for the meatier American diet.

“There cannot be the slightest question that the great increase in cancer among the foreign-born over the prevalence of that disease in their native countries is due to the increased consumption of animal foods,” the article states.

Yet, we didn’t listen, did we? Since the early 1900s, meat consumption has soared – USDA figures show that meat eating rose from 123.9 pounds of meat per person per year in 1909 to 201.5 pounds in 2004. And, guess what else has risen?

Yep, you guessed it: cancer rates. And, according to this report by WedMD, cancer rates may soar to frightening numbers by 2030.

Maybe it’s time we really listened? If you’re already going meatless, pat yourself on the back and keep on. If you’re eating less meat these days, ditto (and keep it up!). And if you’re just starting your journey to eat less meat but are hesitant to make the jump, here are 10 awesome meatless “meaty” recipes that may help your transition.

No matter where you’re at, the big message here is: whether you believe a heaping pile of meat every night will eventually lead to cancer or not, it’s definitely not doing you any favors in the long run, people.

 Image Source: Travis/Flickr