Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Risks of Red Meat

Spring is here, and we just uncovered our grill for the season. Just in time to read a recent article detailing the risks of eating red meat.
The study, released by the Archives of Internal Medicine, examined the eating habits and health of over 110,000 adults over a 20-year span. It concluded that eating red meat, any kind, and any amount, appears to significantly increase the risk of premature death.
Specifically, adding just one 3-ounce serving of red meat (think of a small burger) to a person's daily diet was linked to a 13 percent greater chance of dying during the course of the study. Replacing red meat with other foods also seemed to reduce mortality risks for the study participants.
It didn't matter if the red meat was steak, lamb chops, or pork. The theories why red meat is so dangerous are the iron and saturated fat in it, the nitrates used to preserve the meat, and the chemicals created by high-temperature cooking.
Bodybuilders usually espouse a lot of lean red meat, due to the iron content and protein. Endurance athletes like runners and cyclists tend to have less of it in their training diet, preferring a higher carbohydrate diet. With the exception of Atkins Diet proponents, most people watching their weight tend to limit red meat intake, as well.
From personal observation, I feel most people unconcerned about long-term health effects tend to eat more hot dogs, burgers, bacon or sausage than "healthy eaters" (and I admit, I love all those things, in moderation). Perhaps that had an effect on the conclusions of the survey: those that ate more red meat, for the most part, may have been more likely to make other unhealthy dietary choices (got to have fries with that burger, too!).
Whatever the reason, the article is a good cautionary tale: have red meat as a treat, and not a staple of your diet. Here's to spaghetti and red sauce!