Red and Processed meat...what are the researchers saying now?

Over the years, many experts have advised that we limit red and processed meat. Books have even been written touting a vegan diet as an important way to avoid cancer. Should we be afraid to eat meat??

Annals of Internal Medicine just published a series of reviews that examined previous research and the overall health risk of consuming red and processed meat. After looking at a number of studies that involved 54,000 subjects, the conclusion was drawn that evidence showing a correlation between the intake of red and processed meat to disease was weak. To put it in easy terms, research could not demonstrate strong enough evidence that red and processed meat caused disease.

Now, you are probably thinking one of two things: “I knew it, I’m having a steak tonight!” or “That is totally bogus, meat is terrible for you and this article is WRONG!” Ah yes, there is so much confusion in the nutrition world.

First of all, let me bring your attention to the fact that researching nutrition is particularly difficult. There are many confounding factors and it is just about impossible to prove causation. That means that we can see a correlation between high intakes of meat and outcomes, but we certainly can’t be sure that eating meat caused the outcome. I love the old explanation of this idea….if you see a bunch of umbrellas outside, can you assume that umbrellas caused the rain? So, when we look at large groups of people who eat a certain food and also have a high incidence of a particular outcome, we can’t be sure that the food caused the outcome. The unfortunate limitation to many studies is that diets are often studied by using dietary recalls. Can you remember what you ate last week? Content and quantity in a persons diet can often be difficult to judge.

Now, I’m not saying that we should throw out all of the research. What I am saying is that we do need to look at the big picture. We do know that meat has some really good qualities and it can benefit you in many ways. Meat and all animal products are excellent sources of protein that contain all of the essential amino acids. Heme iron, which is the type found in animal products, is much better absorbed than iron found in plant products. This is particularly important for runners who tend to have lower hemoglobin levels. B12 is an important vitamin that is only naturally occurring in meat products. These are just a few highlights about what meat has to offer.

Could too much meat be bad for you? Too much of anything can be bad for you! Too much plain water will kill you. Not enough hydration will kill you. Not enough salt will kill you. Too much potassium will kill you. The sun is so good for you (Vitamin D, seratonin), but it will also cause skin cancer. So there you have it. Too much or too little of many things are fatal. And not just fatal in 50 years, some of those nutrient deficiencies or toxicities will kill you within days or minutes. (Side note, this is one of the reasons why it drives me crazy when people categorize foods as “good” or “bad”.)

So let’s bring this all together and wrap it in a nice bow. Do I think meat can be a beneficial part of your diet? Yes, I definitely do! I think it should be incorporated into your diet if you do not have ethical concerns with it. Folks, it is all about living more moderately. Eat some meat, but don’t fill your entire plate with it. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. We know fruits and vegetables are amazing for you! Put some whole grains on your plate. Eat a variety of food instead of demonizing some foods and over-glorifying others. Be smart, be sensible, and enjoy some meat!