The research is from Northwestern University and it represents the one of the largest studies yet conducted into red and processed meat consumption. Data was collected over the course of three decades, based on questionnaires completed by 29,682 U.S. citizens, describing their diet and overall health on a regular basis.
The headline finding from the research is that people who eat two servings of red meat, processed meat or poultry each week have a 3 to 7 percent increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, consuming two servings of red meat or processed meat -weekly is linked with a 3 percent greater risk of all causes of early death.
According to lead researcher Dr. Norrina Allen these differences may not seem very large, but these differences will affect millions of people worldwide. It is for these reasons that Dr. Allen says “it’s worth trying to reduce red meat and processed meat like pepperoni, bologna and deli meats.”
She also adds that: “Red meat consumption also is consistently linked to other health problems like cancer.” Consequently, reducing red and processed meat consumption can help to avoid premature death. No real difference was attributed to poultry alone (although the study did not assess for deep fat-fried sources of chicken which will contribute trans-fatty acids, and hence some ill-health effects). Also, there was no association between eating fish and cardiovascular disease or early mortality.
Instead the researcher recommends opting for diet rich in fish, seafood and plant-based sources of protein such as nuts and legumes (such as peas and beans).
The new research has been reported to JAMA Internal Medicine and the research paper is titled “Associations of Processed Meat, Unprocessed Red Meat, Poultry, or Fish Intake With Incident Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality.”
