Daily Red Meat Raises Chances Of Dying Early

Eating red meat increases the chances of dying prematurely, according to the first large study to examine whether regularly eating beef or pork increases mortality.


The study of more than 500,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans found that those who consumed about four ounces of red meat a day (the equivalent of about a small hamburger) were more than 30 percent more likely to die during the 10 years they were followed, mostly from heart disease and cancer. Sausage, cold cuts and other processed meats also increased the risk.


Previous research had found a link between red meat and an increased risk of heart disease and cancer, particularly colorectal cancer, but the new study is the first large examination of the relationship between eating meat and overall risk of death, and is by far the most detailed.


"The bottom line is we found an association between red meat and processed meat and an increased risk of mortality," said Rashmi Sinha of the National Cancer Institute, who led the study published yesterday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.


In contrast, routine consumption of fish, chicken, turkey and other poultry decreased the risk of death by a small amount.


"The uniqueness of this study is its size and length of follow-up," said Barry M. Popkin, a professor of global nutrition at the University of North Carolina, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. "This is a slam-dunk to say that, 'Yes, indeed, if people want to be healthy and live longer, consume less red and processed meat.' "


There are many explanations for how red meat might be unhealthy: Cooking red meat generates cancer-causing compounds; red meat is also high in saturated fat, which has been associated with breast and colorectal cancer; and meat is high in iron, also believed to promote cancer. People who eat red meat are more likely to have high blood pressure and cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease. Processed meats contain substances known as nitrosamines, which have been linked to cancer.


Although pork is often promoted as "white meat," it is believed to increase the risk of cancer because of its iron content, Sinha said.


Regardless of the mechanism, the research provides new evidence that people should follow long-standing recommendations to minimize consumption of red meat, several experts said.


"The take-home message is pretty clear," said Walter Willett, a nutrition expert at the Harvard School of Public Health. "It would be better to shift from red meat to white meat such as chicken and fish, which if anything is associated with lower mortality."


The American Meat Institute, a trade group, dismissed the findings, however, saying they were based on unreliable self-reporting by the study participants.


"Meat products are part of a healthy, balanced diet, and studies show they actually provide a sense of satisfaction and fullness that can help with weight control. Proper body weight contributes to good health overall," James H. Hodges, the group's executive vice president, said in a written statement.


For the study, researchers analyzed data from 545,653 predominantly white volunteers, ages 50 to 71, participating in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. In 1995, the subjects filled out detailed questionnaires about their diets, including meat consumption. Over the next 10 years, 47,976 men and 23,276 women died.


After accounting for other variables that might confound the findings, such as smoking and physical activity, the researchers found that those who ate the most red meat -- about a quarter-pound a day -- were more likely to die of any reason, and from heart disease and cancer in particular, than those who ate the least -- the equivalent of a couple of slices of ham a day.


Among women, those who ate the most red meat were 36 percent more likely to die for any reason, 20 percent more likely to die of cancer and 50 percent more likely to die of heart disease. Men who ate the most meat were 31 percent more likely to die for any reason, 22 percent more likely to die of cancer and 27 percent more likely to die of heart disease.


In contrast, those who consumed the most white meat were about 8 percent less likely to die during the study period than those who ate the least, the researchers found. Poultry contains more unsaturated fat, which improves cholesterol levels, and fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are believed to help reduce the risk of heart disease.


The risk also rose among those who consumed the most processed meat, which included any kind of sausage, cold cuts or hot dogs. Women who consumed the most processed meat (about an ounce a day) were about 25 percent more likely to die overall, about 11 percent more likely to die of cancer and about 38 percent more likely to die from heart disease, compared to those who ate the least. The men who ate the most processed meat were 16 percent more likely to die for any reason, about 12 percent more likely to die of cancer and about 9 percent more likely to die of heart disease.


Experts stressed that the findings do not mean that people need to eliminate red meat from their diet, but instead should avoid eating it every day.


"You can be very healthy being a vegetarian, but you can be very healthy being a non-vegetarian if you keep your red-meat intake low," Willett said. "If you are eating meat twice a day and can cut back to once a day there's a big benefit. If you cut back to two or three times a week there's even more benefit. If you eliminate it entirely, there's a little more benefit, but the big benefit is getting away from everyday red-meat consumption."


In addition to the health benefits, a major reduction in the eating of red meat would probably have a host of other benefits to society, Popkin said: reducing water shortages and pollution, cutting energy consumption, and tamping down greenhouse gas emissions -- all of which are associated with large-scale livestock production.


"There's a big interplay between the global increase in animal food intake and the effects on climate change," he said. "If we cut by a few ounces a day our red-meat intake, we would have big impact on emissions and environmental degradation."



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032301626.html?hpid=topnews

Very important to bring up attention on the subject but I think the content of the article is generic and not conductive to specific conclusions. Too many issues are mixed up.


First : It talks about beef and pork. That is like comparing red and white wine. Yes, both are "meat" but there is no point in comparing them as they are totally different. If you go just for the content of fat, it is clear which one is "better".


Second: is the "cut" itself. Heard of "lean beef" and "fatty beef" ?


Third: A study conducted in "America". I assume it refers to United States of America. What is the lifstyle of the people involved in the research? Is not in USA where over 40% of the population is defined medically as "obese" and 60% is overweight?. Others big time meat eaters "Americans" i.e. Brazilian, Argentinians and Uruguayans have much less ratio of cardio problems or related issues.


Though I'm not vegetarian myself I seldom eat red meat,more because I grew up eating beef EVERY SINGLE day so I got fed up of it but once or twice a month I do enjoy a nice cut. I think I live a helathy lifestyle: sports, no smoke and wine almost every day. I got my last medical check up at 33 and doctor told me to come back in 5 years and keep doing what I'm doing (whatever it was), so those 15 years of eating red meat every day didn't make any harm on me.

I am interested in knowing what to replace the meat with then?

Doesn't it say above? Eat white meat (poultry) and fish instead of red meat. Most of the stuff spoken about what people eat and should eat is far too general to be of any value to concerned individuals and it would be better to say eat in moderation and with as much variety as possible. The advice is above is not to avoid eating red meat, simply don't eat it daily. My father was a doctor; he died aged 92 and his advice to his patients was that a little of what you fancy won't harm you. Over-eating, in the USA in particular, and a heavy reliance on convenience/fast foods, would appear to be the biggest cause nowadays of obesity and various medical conditions. People should endeavour to read packaged/canned food labels for the contents, % sugar, salt and other additives and preservatives, and eat fresh fruit and vegetables daily if possible (the HK Government food pyramid), and develop good eating habits without becoming obsessed by the issue. Much of dietry advice and information required would appear to be nothing more than simple common-sense.