Red meat has had a bad reputation for a while and research is once again making the case for cutting back.
A recent study published in The Lancet claims that reducing processed meat intake by 30 per cent – the equivalent of 10 slices of bacon a week – could dramatically reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and colorectal cancer.
Based on US population figures, the study estimates cutting processed meat consumption over a decade could prevent more than 350,000 cases of diabetes, 92,500 cardiovascular disease cases and 53,300 colorectal cancer cases.
This study builds on evidence of a clear connection between processed meat and chronic disease by breaking down multiple health outcomes.
Using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a team from the University of Edinburgh and the University of North Carolina estimated how changes in meat consumption affected adults’ risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer and death.
Processed and unprocessed red meat
But it doesn’t mean just cutting back on the salami.
The team also analysed the effects of reducing unprocessed red meat intake alone and cutting consumption of both processed meat and unprocessed red meat.
Reducing consumption of both by 30 per cent resulted in 1,073,400 fewer diabetes cases, 382,400 fewer cardiovascular disease cases and 84,400 colorectal cancer cases.
The study found that cutting unprocessed red meat alone by 30 per cent – the equivalent of about one less quarter pounder burger a week – would result in more than 732,000 fewer diabetes cases. It would also mean 291,500 fewer cardiovascular disease cases and 32,200 fewer colorectal cancer cases.
The finding that more disease cases were prevented by reducing unprocessed red meat compared to processed meat is partly due to the average daily intake of unprocessed red meat being higher than processed meat, at 47g a day versus 29g a day, respectively.
“To our knowledge, ours is the first microsimulation model to estimate combined effects on multiple health outcomes in the USA for several unprocessed red meat and processed meat reduction scenarios, both across the whole population and in different demographic groups in the USA,” the study stated.
Better for men
Health benefits were estimated to be greater for male respondents, who comprised 55 per cent of estimated prevented occurrences of type 2 diabetes and 62 per cent of estimated prevented occurrences of colorectal cancer after a 30 per cent reduction in processed meat intake during a 10-year period.
Co-author Professor Lindsay Jaacks, from the University of Edinburgh, said the study was an excellent case for global reduction in red meat consumption.
“Cutting consumption of meat has been recommended by national and international organisations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including the Climate Change Committee here in the UK and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or IPCC,” Prof. Jaacks said.
“Our research finds that these changes in diets could also have significant health benefits in the US, and so this is a clear win-win for people and the planet.”
The World Health Organization defines processed meat as “meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavour or improve preservation”.
Do you like processed meat? Would you be happy to cut back? Why not share your thoughts in the comments section below?
Also read: Have dairy products been unfairly maligned?
Diabetes is caused by eating highly processed “food” and low food value carbohydrates (sugars) too often and in too great a quantity, not by eating meat.
No one eats 30 rashers of bacon a week.
The whole “study” sounds very unsound and of dubious scientific quality.
I agree with you. The results of this “study” goes against all that doctors have been telling us for eons, eat more red meat, your body needs it. We need red meat to build our body, we can’t do it eating grass – we aren’t cows.
If processed meats are that bad for you, how is it that European countries make and consume so many different kinds without worrying about it?
This appears to be another “Green” slanted view.
Be wary readers as they will start checking how much wind you pass after eating sooo many greens and then we will become victims of the new”Solent Green”
haha, but so true.
This “survey” is a very poor study as it relies on the memories of people who may not be eating a low carb clean meat diet. In this survey if you have had lasagne with mince, Big Mac’s, sausage sandwiches – the answer is given the same value as someone who is on the Lion Diet, carnivore diet or the ketovore diet eating only meat, animal products without the carbs. It is the carbs which are the main culprits when it comes to diabetes. I have followed the videos of excellent doctors on the subject and I advise people to have an open mind and listen for yourself. Some I follow are Dr Ken Berry, Dr Chaffee, Dr Baker, Dr John Burke, Dr George Eden (psychiatrist) Dr Ben Beckman. Many have been on the carnivore diet for longer than 10 years and are in excellent health and are in fact thriving.
How red meat is killing you, is a provocative and completely unnecessary headline for a forum such as this.
Smacks of poor journalism that lends itself gutter rags.
The number of times various articles keep spouting about don’t eat red meat, don’t eat carbs etc etc, because they cause cancer and diabetes and other health problems it’s getting to the stage they might as well say don’t eat anything because it’s going to either kill you or at the very least make you very sick. Perhaps we need to look at what our ancestors ate and drank and how long some of them lived. Some of mine only lived to their 30’s others their 60’s but I also have a great number who lived into their late 80’s and into their late 90’s. One of my great grandmothers was 97 and she drank beer and cooked with dripping etc another 2x great lived till she was 100. I think we should still enjoy eating all foods in moderation and move a bit more and enjoy life instead of worrying about what’s going to try and kill us because stress can kill
Whoa 😳 what a lot of aggressive comments. Readers take what they want from this research. The journalist is relating information not giving her personal opinion. Even if you disagree with the finding there’s no need to be so uptight. We live in a democracy so have a right to live as we want and that includes what we eat. Our health is our own responsibility.
At least keep an open mind.
Each to their own.