LiveLongAgeWell

We have heard nutritional experts for years saying: “eat less meat, especially less red and processed meat” A week ago a large study from the National Cancer Institute was published, and the results should wake-up those of us who eat (probably too much) red meat. The study strongly suggested we have a higher cancer and cardiovascular disease risk, and, bottom line, may die sooner. Fortunately, there are some measures meat eaters can take to minimize the risk and damage (and there is very good news for “white” meat eaters). First let’s look at the cold hard numbers, then, let’s try to get some balance on the issue.

The researchers studied over 500,000 people during a ten-year period, 1995-2005. All of them completed an extensive dietary questionnaire diet (I suggest you take a glance at this almost unbelievable survey form [pdf]). The study also analyzed the individuals’ health habits (like smoking and exercise) and diseases, and at the end of the ten year period, the main question was: did eating red meat significantly raise the risk of death from cancer and heart disease? The answer was a clear yes.

Shockingly, men who ate the most red meat had a 31% increased risk of dying from any disease during the ten-year period compared to men who ate very little red meat. For women, the numbers were even worse: a 36% higher risk of dying for those who ate the most. Most of the deaths were due to a higher rate of cancer and cardiovascular disease in the heavy meat group.  Those eating the most processed meats (like sausages, hot dogs, bologna) showed, for men, a 16% higher risk of dying during the ten-year period, and again, worse for women at a 25% higher risk.

One issue that complicates the data is that those who ate lots of red meat were also more likely to smoke, and on the other side, those who ate less meat were more likely to eat more fruits, grains, and vegetables. While the researchers tried to factor those issues out of the study—and only examine the difference in meat consumption—it’s impossible to separate out the various other factors.

The possibility exists, for example, that it’s not so much the heavy meat consumption that’s responsible for the increased deaths, but the lack of fruits, vegetables, grains, and the increased cigarette use in the heavy meat group. Most likely it’s a combination of factors: more red meat and less of the good things in the diet, and probably the minimal-meat eaters were tuned in to many other healthy habits than were the heavy-meat eaters. Maybe the serious carnivores were more likely to eat things like fast food, or French fries… The bottom line is that it’s very difficult to study only the difference between those who ate lots of meat and those that did not, and this study didn’t do that either.

Next post I’ll write briefly about “white” meat, and list a number of ways red meat-eaters can minimize their risks. Humans evolved—rather successfully—as omnivores, eating many types of animals and plants. It’s a contentious issue. I have heard people say, in effect, I don’t care if I die sooner; I want to enjoy eating meat. And, since the risk of death for each of us is 100%, it’s a question we need to answer for ourselves, not only for meat, but in many aspects of our lives.