For longer life, limit red meat

The National Institutes of Health reveal findings that indicate eating red meat may lead to an earlier death. 

In the study, more than a half million older adults were followed for more than 10 years. Even when other health factors were considered, such as tobacco use and exercise level, people who ate more red meat, such as beef, pork or lamb, were more likely to die earlier, most likely from heart disease and cancer. It was found that the more meat they ate, the more likely they were to die during the course of this study.

Critics from the meat industry swiftly dismissed the study, saying that it relied on self-reported accounts of people’s eating habits, which are often not completely accurate. They also claimed that meat is high in protein, iron and other nutrients of value for health.

This being true, the size and quality of this study and the fact that the results are in sync with research that already exists, is very compelling. 

The value of the nutrients found in meat may be insignificant. In actuality, some nutrition scientists claim that the elements of the protein and iron that red meat contain may be damaging to health. For example, the easily absorbed form of iron that is found in meat is a powerful oxidant that can cause variations in cholesterol that make it more prone to clog arteries. Also, meat in the diet seems to dismiss the health-supporting foods like fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains.

So is it OK to eat red meat every now and then, and if so, how much is too much? No one knows for sure. It depends on too many factors like lifestyle, what they eat and their genetic profile. The main thing to remember is that less is better.