Is Red Meat Hurting Your Health?
Red meat has often had a bad rap in the nutrition world, with fingers pointed at its higher content of fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. But a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine may back up that thinking. The results of this newly published study suggests that a high consumption of red meat and processed meats may actually be associated with greater risk of mortality.
The study of over 500,000 people looked at intake levels of red meat and processed meats with all other factors being held constant. The results showed that, with all other things being equal, men and women who consumed the most meat were likely to die earlier. The increased risk of mortality was a modest risk of about 20-40%, and was tied to the biggest health risks of heart disease and cancer.
Does this mean you need to swear off all red and processed meats entirely? No. Healthy behaviors are about being able to sustain your habits for a long term, not just a temporary change. So look at your current dietary intake of meat. Is there room to cut out a hamburger or steak here or there? Can you slim down the portion size a bit? When you have meat, can you choose leaner cuts of meat (look for the terms “round” or “loin” in the name to indicate less fat) or fewer processed meats? You don’t need to go “cold turkey” on meat, though choosing more fish and poultry like chicken and turkey is a great way to get some protein in with your meals without as much fat. Another important point–the people in the study with the lower mortality rates were those who also consumed more fruits and veggies.
To put it simply, the same goals you have for managing your weight–smaller portions, monitoring frequency of higher fat/calorie foods, more fruits and veggies, more whole foods and fewer processed foods with added fat/sugar–will also help cut risks for diseases like heart disease and cancer.
Tags: cancer and diet, heart disease, portion control, portion sizes, red meat, weight loss, weight management
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May 15th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
We received a great comment about this post that we would like to follow up on. The following comment came in via twitter:
Sev. probs w/study: 1) They don’t separate processed meats & red meat …secondly, they don’t differentiate diseased factory farmed animals fed grain and confined from healthy pastured animals.
Great comments. Yes, the study didn’t differentiate between processed meats and red meat but rather looked at consumption of both. And the study was not designed to measure where the meat came from. There will always be problems with studies that come out and not every factor can always be measured or controlled for. So you must look at a study for what it is worth. As we summarized in the blog post, the main message is one of looking at what is good for your own weight management practices and what is sustainable for you. The take home message of the study as we see it is not that red and processed meat are bad, but that it is always good to look at your portions and frequency of the foods you consume and aiming to get healthier options in your diet on a regular basis.
Additionally, always keep in mind that one study is not the end all be all answer to something. Rather, they can be good reinforcers of health messages. As we summed up in the blog post–for weight management, aim to get more whole foods, fruits and veggies, and fewer processed foods. Go for foods in their more natural state. And meat from animals that were raised in healthy, pastured settings can be a great choice to make.