Red meat can be ‘lethal’ - Report

Red meat is not only unhealthy but can be positively lethal, according to a major United States study.

The research shows regularly eating red meat - especially the processed variety - dramatically increases the risk of death from heart disease and cancer.

Each additional daily serving of processed red meat, equivalent to one hot-dog or two rashers of bacon, raised the chances of dying by a fifth.

But the study found that cutting red meat out of the diet led to significant benefits.

Replacing red meat with fish, poultry, or plant-based protein foods contributed to a longer life, the study says.

Nuts were said to reduce the risk of dying by 20 per cent - making a case for swapping roast beef for nut roast.

Sky News says data from 121,342 men and women taking part in two large U.S health and lifestyle investigations were analyzed to produce the findings, published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine .

The studies monitored the progress of their participants for more than 20 years and gathered information about diet.

In total, scientists documented 23,926 deaths including 5,910 from heart disease and 9,364 from cancer.

Senior author Professor Frank Hu, from Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, said: "This study provides clear evidence that regular consumption of red meat, especially processed meat, contributes substantially to premature death.

"On the other hand, choosing more healthful sources of protein in place of red meat can confer significant health benefits by reducing chronic disease morbidity (illness) and mortality."

Cancer prevention charity the World Cancer Research Fund recommends that people avoid processed meat entirely and limit their consumption of red meat to 500g a week.

Dr. Rachel Thompson, the charity's deputy head of science, said: "This study strengthens the body of evidence which shows a link between red meat and chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. The research itself seems solid and is based on two large-scale cohort studies monitored over a long period of time."

But the findings were challenged by Dr. Carrie Ruxton from the Meat Advisory Panel, an expert body funded by the meat industry.

She said: "This US study looked at associations between high intakes of red meat and risk of mortality, finding a positive association between the two. However, the study was observational, not controlled, and so cannot be used to determine cause and effect.

"The authors' conclusion that swapping a portion of red meat for poultry or fish each week may lower mortality risk was based only on a theoretical model. This conflicts with evidence from controlled trials."

Dr. Ruxton pointed out that meat and meat products were significant sources of essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, selenium, B vitamins and vitamin D.

In the United Kingdom, red meat was "critically important" to zinc intake, contributing 32 per cent of the total for men and 27 per cent for women. Red meat also contributed around 17 per cent of total dietary iron intake in the UK.

Dr. Ruxton added: "In summary, this paper should not be used to dissuade people from reducing their current intake of red meat when it provides essential nutrients that are required as part of a healthy balanced diet."

Courtesy: The Nation