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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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Eating Red Meat Daily Raises Death Risk: Study

Experts say cutting red meat consumption could save many lives

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(Newser) – Daily consumption of red meat has been linked to higher mortality rates in the most comprehensive study on the subject ever made, the Washington Post reports. Researchers studied more than 500,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans and found that those who consumed 4 ounces of red meat a day were 30% likelier to die in the following decade, mainly from cancer and heart disease.

The study also associated processed meats such as sausages and cold cuts with higher death rates. Experts said that while the findings do not mean people need to eliminate red meat completely from their diets, consumption should be reduced to only a couple of times a week at most, and replaced as often as possible with poultry or fish—which the study found reduces death rates.

New York Strip steaks fill the meat cases at Jack and Pat's Old Fashioned Butcher Shop in Chicago Ridge, Ill.
New York Strip steaks fill the meat cases at Jack and Pat's Old Fashioned Butcher Shop in Chicago Ridge, Ill.   (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
Kevin Lee, owner of the Save More meat store, pulls out a tray of steaks in Pacifica, Calif.
Kevin Lee, owner of the Save More meat store, pulls out a tray of steaks in Pacifica, Calif.   (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, file)
The study also associated processed meats, whether they were red or white meat, with higher death rates.
The study also associated processed meats, whether they were red or white meat, with higher death rates.   (©bucklava)
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The take-home message is pretty clear. It would be better to shift from red meat to white meat such as chicken and fish, which if anything is associated with lower mortality.
- Walter Willett, a nutrition expert at the Harvard School of Public Health

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mayverisian
May 4, 09 2:25 AM CDT
It makes far more sense to become a vegetarian, now, doesn't it? And, no, vegetarians do not eat fish; a proper term for that is pescetarian. Reply
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