is red meat bad for you, or good_ an objective look

8/10/2019 Is Red Meat Bad for You, Or Good_ an Objective Look

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10/9/2014 Is Red Meat Bad For You, or Good? An Objective Look

http://authoritynutrition.com/is-red-meat-bad-for-you-or-good/

Is Red Meat Bad For You, or Good? An ObjectiveLook

By Kris Gunnars | 140,070 views

Red meat is one of the most controversial foods

in the history of nutrition.

Despite the fact that humans have been eating it

throughout evolution, many people believe that it

can cause harm.

Id like to sort through the hype and hoopla and

figure out what the evidence has to say.

This articlewill focus on the effects that red meat

has on health.Ill leave the ethical and

environmental stuff for someone else to tackle.

Todays Meat Isnt What itUsed to

be

Humans have been eating meat throughout evolutionand our digestive systems are

well equipped to handle it.

Traditional populations like the Inuit and Masai have eaten lots of meat, much

morethan the average Westerner, but remained in excellent health (1, 2).

However, the meat we eat today isvastly differentfrom the meat our ancestors ate.

Back in the day, animals roamed free and ate grass, insects or whatever was natural

to them.

Picture a wild cow on a field 10.000 years ago, roaming free and chewing on grass

and various other edible plants.

The meat from this animal is completely different from the meat derived from a cow

that was born and raised in a factory, fed grain-based feed, then pumped full of

antibiotics and hormones to make it grow faster.

Today, some of our meat products go through even more processingafter the

animals are slaughtered they are smoked, cured, then treated with nitrates,

preservatives and various chemicals.

Therefore, it is very important to distinguish between the different types of meat:

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Processed Meat:These products are usually from conventionally raised

cows, then go through various processing methods. Examples include

sausages andbacon.

Conventional Red Meat:Conventional red meats are fairly unprocessed,

but the cows are usually factory farmed. Meats that are red when raw are

defined as red meats. Includes lamb, beef, pork and some others.

White Meat:Meats that are white when cooked are defined as white

meats. Includes meat from poultry like chicken and turkey.

Grass-Fed, Organic Meat:This meat comes from animals that have been

naturally fed, raised organically and not been pumped full of drugs and

hormones. They also dont have any artificial chemicals added to them.

When examining the health effects of meat, its important to realize that not all

meat is created equal.

The studies on meat, especially the ones performed in the U.S., are mostly examining

meat from factory farmed animals that have been fed grain-based feeds.

Bottom Line:It is important to make the distinction between different kinds

of meat. For example, grass-fed and organic meat is very different from factory-

farmed, processed meat.

Red Meat is Very Nutritious

Red meat is one of the most nutritious foods

you can eat.

It is loaded with vitamins, minerals,

antioxidants and various other nutrients that

can have profoundeffects on health.

A 100 gram (3.5 ounces) portion of raw ground beef (10% fat) contains (3):

Vitamin B3(Niacin): 25% of the RDA.

Vitamin B12(Cobalamin): 37% of the RDA (this vitamin is unattainable

from plant foods).
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beef-products/6193/2http://authoritynutrition.com/is-bacon-bad-or-good/


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Vitamin B6(Pyridoxine): 18% of the RDA.

Iron:12% of the RDA (This is high quality heme-iron, which is absorbed

much better than iron from plants).

Zinc:32% of the RDA.

Selenium:24% of the RDA.

Then there are plenty of other vitamins and minerals in there too, in smaller

amounts.

This comes with a calorie count of 176, with 20 grams of quality animal proteinand10 grams of fat.

Red meat is also rich in important nutrients like Creatine and Carnosine. Non-meat

eaters are often deficient in these nutrients, which can have negative effects on

various aspects of health, including muscleand brain function (4, 5, 6).

Grass-fed beefis even more nutritious than grain-fed, containing plenty of heart

healthy Omega-3s, the fatty acid CLA, along with more Vitamins A and E (7, 8, 9).

Bottom Line:Red meat is very nutritious, especially if it comes from animals

that have been naturally fed and raised. Its a great source of protein, iron, B12,

Zinc, Creatine and various other nutrients.

Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes and Death

The effects of red meat on health have been

intensively studied.

However, most of these studies are so-called

observational studies, which can not prove

causation, just that some things are correlated.

There are some observational studies out there saying that red meat is associated

with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and death (10).

However, if you look at larger studies that are of higher quality, you find that the

effect of red meat diminishes.

In a massive review of 20 studies that included a total of 1,218,380 individuals,

processed meat was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and

diabetes. However, no associationwas found for unprocessed red meat (11).

In the EPICstudy, a very large observational study that includes 448,568 individuals,

processed meat increased the risk of death while no effectwas seen for unprocessed

red meat (12).

When it comes to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and death it

is crucialto distinguish between processed and unprocessed meat, because the two

can have vastly different effects.

The observational studies seem to agree that processedmeat (not unprocessed red

meat) is associated with an increased risk of an early death and many diseases.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23497300http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Prospective_Investigation_into_Cancer_and_Nutritionhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20479151http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1134845http://authoritynutrition.com/tom-naughton-bad-science/http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0309174003001608http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16500874http://www.nutritionj.com/content/9/1/10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjugated_linoleic_acidhttp://chriskresser.com/why-grass-fed-trumps-grain-fedhttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00726-010-0749-2http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8207518http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14600563http://authoritynutrition.com/5-muscle-nutrients-in-animal-foods/http://authoritynutrition.com/is-too-much-protein-bad-for-you/


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But even so, its important to keep in mind the limitations of these studies.

Conclusions drawn from observational studies tend to be wrong. The only wayto

establish cause and effect is to perform randomized controlled trials.

Bottom Line:Some observational studies show a link between meat, diabetes,

cardiovascular disease and death. However, other studies reveal that the

association is found only for processed meat, not unprocessed red meat.

Does Red Meat Increase Your Risk of Cancer?

There are many observational studies showing that red

meat consumption is associated with an increased risk

of cancer (13, 14, 15).

The main type of cancer that red meat is believed to

cause is colorectal cancer, the third most commonly

diagnosed cancer in the world.

A recurrent problem in these studies is that they seem

to pool together processed meat and unprocessed red

meat, which is unacceptable.

Meta-analyses where researchers analyze data from many studies show that the

increased risk of colorectal cancer is very low. One meta-analysis found a weak effect

for men, but no effect for women (16, 17).

Other studies show that it may not be the meat itself that is contributing to the

increased risk, but harmful compounds that form when the meat is cooked (18).

Therefore, the cooking method may be a major determinant of the ultimate healtheffects of meat.

Bottom Line:Several observational studies show that red meat eaters are at a

greater risk of cancer, but larger reviews that look at the evidence at a whole

show that the effect is weak and inconsistent.

Correlation Does Not Equal Causation

When you look closely, pretty much all the studies

that apparently prove that red meat causes harm

are so-called observational studies.

These types of studies can only demonstrate

correlation, that two variables are associated.

They can tell us that individuals who eat more red

meat are more likelyto get sick, but they can NOT prove that red meat caused

anything.

One of the main problems with such studies is that they are plagued by various
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation_does_not_imply_causationhttp://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cooked-meatshttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20663065http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21540747http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorectal_cancerhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17101944http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8162586http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/97/12/906.short


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confounding factors.

For example, people who eat red meat (and everyone knows that red meat is bad,

right?) are less health conscious and more likely to smoke, drink excessively, eat more

sugar, exercise less, etc.

The people who are health conscious behave very differently than people who are not

and it is impossibleto correct for all of these factors.

Another problem with these studies is that theyre usually based on food frequency

questionnaires, where people are expected to remember what they ate in the past.

It is always a bad idea to make health decisions based on observational studies alone.

There are many cases in history where randomized controlled trials end up showing

the exact opposite effect.

For example, the Nurses Health Study once showed that estrogen replacement

therapy helped reduce heart disease in women. Later, a randomized controlled trial

discovered that it actually increasesheart disease (19).

Bottom Line:Observational studies can not be used to determine cause and

effect. There are many confounders in such studies and higher quality studies

often end up showing the exact opposite effect.

A Look at Some Randomized Controlled Trials

Randomized controlled trials are the gold standardof

science.

In these studies, people are randomized into groups.

For example, one group eats Diet A, while the other

group eats Diet B.

Then the researchers follow the people and see which

diet is more likely to lead to a particular outcome.

Unfortunately, I am not aware of any such study that

examines red meat directly.

However, we do have studies on low-fat diets. These studies have the primary goal of
http://authoritynutrition.com/do-low-fat-diets-work/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randomized_controlled_trialhttp://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/33/3/464.full


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reducing saturated fat, which means that the people in them have to eat less red and

processed meat, which happen to be high in saturated fat.

The Womens Health Initiative was a study of over 46 thousand women. One group

was instructed to eat a low fat diet, while the other group continued eating the

standard Western diet.

After a period of 7.5 years, there was almost no difference (only 0.4 kg / 1 lb) in

weight between groups. There was also no differencein the rate of heart disease or

cancer (20, 21, 22, 23).

There is also a randomized controlled trial that compared the Atkins diet (high in red

meat) to the Ornish diet (a low-fat vegetarian diet with no red meat). It is called the A

to Z weight loss study (24).

After a study period of 1 year, the Atkins group had lost more weight and had greater

improvementsin all the most important risk factors for disease, although the effects

werent always statistically significant.

There are also multiple other studies that compare low-carb(high in red meat) and

low-fat (low in red meat) diets. In these studies, low-carb diets lead to much better

health outcomes (25, 26, 27).

Of course, these studies arent examining red meat directly, there are a lot more

things going on that can affect the results.

Bottom Line:Studies on low-fat diets (low in red meat) dont show a

reduction in cancer. Studies on low-carb diets (high in red meat) almost

invariably lead to improved health outcomes.

Red Meat Optimization 101

When meat is cooked at a high temperature, it can form

harmful compounds.

Some of these include Heterocyclic Amines (HAs),

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and

Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs).

These substances can cause cancer in animals.

If meat really raises your risk of cancer (which is yet to

be proven) then this may be the reason (28, 29, 30).

But this doesnt just apply to meat, other foods can also

form harmful compounds when heated excessively.

Here are some tipsto make sure your meat doesnt form these harmful compounds:

1. Use gentler cooking methods like stewing and steaming instead of grilling and

frying.
http://authoritynutrition.com/how-to-make-your-meat-as-healthy-as-possible/http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002822310002385http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15072585http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15914214http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2008.00518.x/abstracthttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2012.01021.x/abstracthttp://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/2/276.fullhttp://authoritynutrition.com/low-carb-diet-meal-plan-and-menu/http://authoritynutrition.com/low-carb-vs-vegan-vegetarian/http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=205916http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16467232http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16467233http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=202339http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16391215http://authoritynutrition.com/top-8-reasons-not-to-fear-saturated-fats/


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2. Minimize cooking at high heats and never expose your meat to a flame.

3. Do not eat charred and/or smoked food. If your meat is burnt, then cut away the

charred pieces.

4. If you marinate your meat in garlic, red wine, lemon juice or olive oil, it can

reduce HCAs significantly.

5. If you must cook at a high heat, flip your meat frequently to prevent it from

getting burned.

Now I will admit that fried and grilled meat tastes awesome. I personally prefer the

taste and texture of well-done meat.

But if you want to enjoy meat and receive the full benefits without any of the potential

harmful consequences, then use the gentler cooking methods and avoid burnt meat.

Bottom Line:In order to prevent formation of harmful substances when you

cook meat, choose gentler cooking methods and avoid burning your meat.

Take Home Message

When you look past the scare tactics and the sensationalist headlines, you realize that

there are no controlled trialslinking red meat to disease in humans.

There are only observational studies, which often dont properly separate red meat

and processed meat.

They also rely on food frequency questionnaires and they simply can not account

forcomplicated confounding factors like health consciousness.

Observational studies are made for generatinghypotheses, NOT testing then.

They can not prove that red meat causesanything and personally I find it doubtful

because humans have thrived eating wild animals throughout evolution.

As long as youre choosing unprocessed (preferably grass-fed) red meat and make

sure to use gentler cooking methods and avoid burnt/charred pieces, then there

probably is nothing to worry about.

In fact, I think unprocessed, properly cooked red meat is actually very healthy.

It is highly nutritious and loaded with healthy proteins, healthy fats, vitamins and

minerals, along with various nutrients known to positively affect the function of both

body andbrain.

Plus it just tastes reallygood a life with meat sure as hell beats a life without it.
http://authoritynutrition.com/5-brain-nutrients-in-meat-fish-eggs/http://www.marksdailyapple.com/will-eating-red-meat-kill-you/


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