Red Meating Thy Maker

A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine finds that red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, cancer-related death and total death.

The study, conducted by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed the consumption patterns of 37,698 men and 83,644 women enrolled in national-level health studies over a 20 year period. The researchers found that:

  • Adding 1 extra portion of unprocessed meat per day increases death risk by 13%, cardiovascular disease death by 18% and cancer death by 10%
  • Adding 1 extra portion of processed meat per day increases death risk by 20%, cardiovascular disease death by 21% and cancer death by 16%

If you’re looking for the silver lining: replacing high fat cuts of red meat with leaner choices such as fish, chicken or nuts reduces early mortality risk.