Results are In: Too Much Red Meat Increases Risk of Heart Disease

The results of a 10-year study, published this past week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that eating red meat every day increased the risk of dying prematurely from cancer, heart disease, and other causes. (Red meat was defined in the study as all types of beef and pork, including bacon, cold cuts, ham, hamburgers, hot dogs, and steak, as well as the meat in pizza, chili, lasagna, and stew.)

The study, which followed 500,000 men and women ages 50 to 71, showed that eating the equivalent of a quarter-pound hamburger daily gave men a 22 percent higher risk of dying of cancer and a 27 percent higher risk of dying of heart disease compared to those who ate just 5 ounces of red meat a week. Women who ate large amounts of red meat had a 20 percent higher risk of dying of cancer and a 50 percent higher risk of dying of heart disease than women who ate less.

Experts don’t know for sure why red meat and processed meats are associated with these increased risks, but the most likely explanations, according to the researchers, include the fact that meats can be a source of carcinogens formed during cooking; that the iron in red meat may increase particular cell damage, leading to health problems; and that the saturated fat found in certain cuts of meat has been linked with breast and colorectal cancer as well as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which increase the risk of heart disease.

Filed Under Diet Q&A, What's New 

Comments

Got something to say?





Copyright © 2008-2012 Glennys Diet Tips