Red meat lovers more likely to die early
Eating almost half the daily recommended amount of meat can significantly increase the risk of early death caused by heart disease and cancer.
A 28-year follow-up of more 120,000 US people revealed that regular consumption of any kind of red meat is much riskier than ever thought.
Dr. Frank Hu and colleagues at Harvard University found that daily consumption of unprocessed red meat was tied to 13 percent higher risk of mortality while a portion of processed red meat raised the risk up to 20 percent.
“It's not really surprising because red meat consumption has been linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer,” said Dr. Hu. “What is surprising is the magnitude of risk associated with very moderate red meat consumption.”
“Habitual, daily consumption of these products is actually very common, both in our study and in the general population,” he added noting that about three-quarters of the study participants reported eating one or more daily servings of red meat.
The study showed that people who eat regularly red meat are also more likely to be engaged in other unhealthy behaviors including smoking, says the article in Archives of Internal Medicine.
“I think the public health message is pretty straightforward,” Hu concluded. “We should switch from a red meat-based diet to a plant-based diet with healthier protein choices.”
Some experts who reviewed the new study suggest that it has provided further evidence showing that current guidelines for red meat consumption need to be revised.
In its 2005 study, the World Cancer Research Fund recommended that people should not eat more than 499 grams of red meat a week while children should not eat any amount of processed meat like sausages.
Source: presstv.com
