Red meat - the two sides "for" or "against"
Most basic dietary guidelines - including those in the United Kingdom, the United States and those published by the World Cancer Research Fund - recommend that people reduce their consumption of red and processed meat [ [ref. 1] . Red meat is connected with health problems such as cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer. But a new study by an international team of scientists analyzing the results of research on the effects of meat on individual health says the guidelines are not based on good evidence.
The scientists also noted what they call a "weak recommendation" with "low-security evidence" that adults can stick to the amount of meat they usually eat. The analysis, which includes five separate studies published in Annals of Internal Medicare, went through a lot of criticism from experts and medical professionals . They dispute both the methodology behind the conclusions drawn, which deals with only a small part of dietary research, and the lack of accountability of the environmental impact of meat.
The first research team brought out their recommendations for red meat using a framework called GRADE. It ranked studies that observed people (rather than creating groups that were given specific interventions) and were considered low-quality. Many nutrition studies are observational because it is a challenge to closely control people's diet for decades. This is the time it takes to understand how the food they eat will affect their health.
As the American Heart Association points out, red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) contain more saturated fats than chicken, fish and plant protein sources. Saturated fats can increase cholesterol in the blood and increase the risk of heart disease. [ref.2] If you consume red meat, let it be in limited portions - up to 1-2 per week. It is desirable that most of your menu consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds with which to obtain the necessary antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
New data on the harm of red meat to heart health
A recent meta-analysis found that red and processed meats increase the risk of developing heart disease by about 3-7 %. It is also pointed out that poultry is not the best possible alternative.
The researchers analyzed six cohort studies, a total of 29,682 participants. The latter were surveyed about their eating habits and health. The baseline data were collected between 1985 and 2002 with ex-post reviews until August 2016.
The researchers found that two servings of processed meat a week were associated with a 7 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease - or an absolute difference in risk of about 2 percent. Two servings of red meat are associated with a 3% higher risk - or about 1% absolute risk - and poultry is also in this calculation. However, fish consumption shows no increased risk. Interesting for red and processed meat is also that when consumed, there is a 3 percent higher risk of premature death. For poultry or fish, there is no difference.
Against the background of the limited number of participants, these percentages may seem startling to us. But relative to a larger population, such as the population of one country, the numbers change significantly. For 7 million people in Bulgaria, for example, the reduced risk of 3 percent means 210,000 fewer people suffering from heart disease. Since health recommendations are given to the entire population, it makes sense for health experts to give individual guidelines, taking into account the entire population.
