Red meat is defined as any meat that comes from mammalian muscle. This includes beef, lamb, pork, goat, veal, and mutton. For many households, red meat is considered a food staple, with some of us consuming beef, lamb, and pork in different variations on a daily basis.
Last year, the average person in the United States is estimated to have consumed around Although this might appear a high intake, it is a significant reduction from the average Over the past 10 years alone, red meat consumption has fallen by around 10 pounds per person, with seeing the lowest intake of red meat since , at just According to a Harris Poll, approximately 8 million adults in the U.
However, it seems that millions more of us are opting for plant-based foods over meat-based products because we believe that they are more healthful.
The Harris Poll found that 37 percent of U. A number of studies have suggested that when it comes to health, a plant-based diet is the way to go. In December , a position paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics claimed that a plant-based diet can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 62 percent, as well as reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. It is not only the health benefits associated with plant-based diets that are steering us away from red meat, however, but the health risks that might arise from eating red meat.
We take a look at what some of these risks are. When it comes to red meat intake, cancer is perhaps the most well-established health implication.
They found that each gram portion of processed meat — which primarily includes pork or beef — consumed daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent. The IARC also uncovered evidence of a link between red meat intake and increased risk of colorectal, pancreatic, and prostate cancers. It is thought that cooking red meats at high temperatures — through frying or barbecuing, for example — is what contributes to an increased cancer risk.
According to the National Cancer Institute — a part of the National Institutes of Health NIH — cooking meats at high temperatures can lead to the production of heterocyclic amines HCAs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs , which are chemicals that have been shown to increase cancer risk in animal models.
However, the report from WHO concluded that the role of HCAs and PAHs in human cancer risk is not fully understood , and from their review, there was not enough data to determine whether the way meat is cooked influences cancer risk. Kidney failure — whereby the kidneys are no longer able to filter waste products and water from the blood — is estimated to affect more than , people in the U. Diabetes and high blood pressure are among the most common causes of kidney failure , but in July , one study suggested that red meat intake might be a risk factor.
Published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology , the study reported a dose-dependent link between red meat consumption and risk of kidney failure.
For example, participants who were in the highest 25 percent of red meat intake were found to have a 40 percent increased risk of kidney failure, compared with those in the lowest 25 percent. It is often a real area of confusion for customers, and the public in general, as to what meats are actually classified as red meats.
We understand the confusion, and always try to give our customers the information they need, which is why we've put together this article to hopefully clear this up a little. Before we get started, it should be said that red meat is a great source of protein, vitamins and minerals, and should form part of a balanced diet and healthy life. If you weren't aware, controversial NHS guidelines relating to red meat being bad for our health, were actually scrapped following literature reviews by an international team of researchers, who found the evidence to be "weak".
First of all lets get an idea of what actually constitutes as red meat. Red meat is commonly red when it is raw, hence the name, but not always. In terms of the science, red meat is actually defined by the level of myoglobin protein found within the meat.
This is what can often lead to confusion, as this means that meat like pork, which is not red in colour when it is raw, is actually classified as red meat due to the levels of the myoglobin protein found within the meat. If you're looking for the healthiest red meats, you'll want to stick to the leanest cuts.
You might want to be more careful with meats like lamb and mutton, as these can be higher in fat. If you are looking to reduce your intake of red or processed meats then there are several ways you could do this, including, reducing portion sizes, switching to chicken , turkey , or even fish, or swapping beef or lamb mince for turkey mince.
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