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 Researchers examined data on eating habits over time for more than
53,000 women and almost 28,000 men and found that when people
increased their total red meat consumption by at least a half
serving a day over eight years, they were 10% more likely to die
over the next eight-year period than those who didn't boost their
meat intake.
Processed meat like bacon and cold cuts appeared more likely to
hasten death. Boosting processed meat consumption by at least a half
serving daily over eight years was tied to a 13% greater risk of
death during the following eight years, compared to an increased
risk of 9% with unprocessed meat.
"The take-home message from our study is that it is desirable to
reduce consumption of red meat especially processed meat and choose
healthier sources of protein such as fish, nuts, whole grains and
legumes instead," said Frank Hu, head of the department of nutrition
at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston and
senior author of the study, which was published in The BMJ.
"But it does not mean that everyone should become a vegetarian or
vegan," Hu said by email. "To live a long and healthy life, besides
eating an overall healthy diet, it is also important to maintain a
healthy weight, be physically active and avoid smoking."
While eating lots of red meat is often associated with other
unhealthy habits like smoking and getting too little exercise, the
study accounted for these factors and still found red meat tied to a
shorter lifespan, Hu noted.
The participants did not have heart disease or cancer at the
beginning of the study period, and the researchers followed them
through two sets of eight-year periods. The study team looked at
whether changes in red meat consumption from 1986 to 1994 predicted
mortality from 1994 to 2002, and whether changes from 1994 to 2002
predicted mortality from 2002 to 2010.
Researchers also found significant associations between increased
red meat consumption and increased deaths due to heart, breathing
and brain disorders specifically.
They did not find a benefit from merely reducing red meat intake by
a half serving daily, but cutting back on red meat and replacing it
with nuts, fish, skinless cuts of poultry, dairy, eggs, whole
grains, or vegetables was associated with a lower risk of death
during the study period.
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The study wasn't designed to prove whether or how red meat in
general or processed meat in particular might directly cause an
early death, which is something that is still unknown.
"This is the trillion-dollar question," said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian
of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts
University in Boston.
"For decades we've assumed it's the saturated fat and cholesterol,
leading to ubiquitous dietary guidelines to consume 'lean' and
low-fat meats," Mozaffarian, who wasn't involved in the study, said
by email.
"But, the wide range of types of death linked to meats in this study
- most of which are not influenced by saturated fat - indicates
that, if these associations represent cause-and-effect, it's
unlikely to be the fat content," Mozaffarian added. "This is
incredibly important: we should be determining the precise harmful
compounds, and reducing these, rather than pushing people toward
low-fat meats some of which, like deli meats, are highly processed."
In the meantime, people may benefit from small efforts to cut back
on how much meat they eat, said John Potter of the Center for Public
Health Research at Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand.
"As a society, we are now eating 10 to 20 times more meat than was
true through most of human history," Potter, who wasn't involved in
the study, said by email.
"We should reduce our overall consumption to 5 to 10 kilograms (11
to 22 pounds) per year," Potter advised. "Switching to a vegetarian
diet brings added benefits but beginning with at least one meatless
day a week moves us in the right direction."
SOURCE: https://bit.ly/2MYfAhr The BMJ, online June 12, 2019.
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