Eating More Red Meat Lately? You May Want to Reconsider That

Adults who up their red meat intake may face increased mortality risk, suggests an analysis in The BMJ.

The analysis included over 80,000 U.S. health professionals (about two-thirds women) who completed numerous food-frequency questionnaires over two decades. Researchers examined whether changes in red meat consumption over 8 years were associated with mortality risk in the subsequent 8 years. People with histories of cardiovascular disease or cancer were excluded.

During follow-up, some 14,000 participants died. After multivariable adjustment, those who increased their red meat consumption by more than 0.5 servings a day saw a significant 10% increase in mortality risk — regardless of their baseline intake.

Decreases in red meat consumption were associated with decreased mortality risk — but only when they were accompanied by increases in other proteins or plant-based foods like fish, nuts, or whole grains.

BMJ article link below.

Association of changes in red meat consumption with total and cause specific mortality among US women and men: two prospective cohort studies