Red Meat - Health risk?

[0iD]

Red meat raises risk of all kinds of death

People who eat the most red meat and the most processed meat have the highest overall risk of death from all causes, including heart disease and cancer, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

The National Cancer Institute study is one of the largest to look at the highly controversial and emotive issue of whether eating meat is indeed bad for health.

Rashmi Sinha and colleagues looked at the records of more than 500,000 people aged 50 to 71 who filled out questionnaires on their diet and other health habits.

Yet more scaremongering? Or is there really an increased risk of helth probs with red meat.

What I think is the core quote is this

"Red and processed meat intakes were associated with modest increases in total mortality, cancer mortality, and cardiovascular disease mortality," Sinha and colleagues wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

I think the processed meat is the key here tbh.

Your views?

[TheAnimus]

Lies, Damn lies, and Statistics!

Just because there is a trend does not mean there is causality.

[directhex]

Wait 1 week, and there'll be a report out describing how antioxidants in red meat help prevent cancer of the rectum, or somesuch

[pollaxe]

I think you're right highlighting the processed meats element (now I have a Kasabian tune playing in my brain!) as I'm sure they're probably the real villain of the piece. *

I suppose things like fat content will also play a role (though we need some fat, of course) but will this change my eating habits? No!


*Processed meats, not Kasabian.

[strike-down]

I think the issue could be to do with mcdonalds > Burgers > Eat too much > Obese > Ohh heart problems due to clogged arteries. And god knows what other chemicals are put in it that are carcinogens.
I have to agree with OiD, processed meat could well be the problem, aswell as people over eating.

[MadduckUK]

after a quick read, all this suggests is that too much is worse than not enough?

"I was pretty surprised when I checked back and went through the data on emissions from animal food and livestock," Popkin said in a telephone interview.

"I didn't expect it to be more than cars."

really? i knew that, perhaps your in the wrong job?

[merdat]

Report just out on Sky news- Eat 'oily fish once a week' and yer solid against the big 'C'. Not many 'blue steaks ' being sold nowadays though.

[tiggerai]

I also think it's the processed meat thing... as we've been eating meat for thousands of years, as a very main part of our diet... if it wasn't good for us then i doubt evolution would have progressed as such (look at pandas - even they struggle at life's most basic activity....).

It's the modern day approach to it, not straight off a cow (or deer, or wild boar's) rump but through all sorts of processing, packaging etc.

Besides, I like eating animals, especially the fluffy ones. No one's gonna scaremonger me into stopping.

[Funkstar]

Besides, I like eating animals, especially the fluffy ones. No one's gonna scaremonger me into stopping.

+1 for this.

We should be more like the French. When they see an animal, instead of going "awe! isn't that nice" they think "hmmm, I wonder what that tastes like with a spot or garlic?"

[Flibb]

BBC has a bit more info, including the amounts classed as large, and some interesting info on white meat

Those who ate the least were only getting about 25g per day - approximately a small rasher of bacon.

Conversely, those who ate the highest proportion of white meat had a lower risk of overall death, and a lower risk of fatal cancer or heart disease than those who ate the lowest proportion.

[Zak33]

Raindeer meat is red meat... and has one of the lowest cholesterol counts of any meat.

(I can't spell Raindeer can I?)

[kalniel]

Raindeer meat is red meat... and has one of the lowest cholesterol counts of any meat.

(I can't spell Raindeer can I?)

It's not just cholesterol that's the problem (in fact that might be one of the lesser problems, as a recent study showed dietary cholesterol by itself didn't actually have all that much effect on your body's base level, which was more determined by exercise, fibre and omega 3.)

Overcooking red meat though was highlighted as a particular problem.

[Funkstar]

Reindeer meat is red meat... and has one of the lowest cholesterol counts of any meat.

(I can't spell Reindeer can I?)

Fixed that for you Zaky

[Flibb]

Think I will take the risk with some venison tonight, just going to have to cook it rare.

BBBurrrrpppp

[KBeee]

Strangely, the death rate among human beings is 100%
Even those that don't eat red meat, smoke, drink, or vote Labour

[BEANFro Elite]

Blah blah blah, bloody hippies; meat is teh win!