Ending Carnivorous Diet Is Good For Health, U.S. Study Claims

After a controversial study in 2019 claimed it was not necessary for people to change their diet in terms of red meat and processed meat, a large, carefully analyzed new study covering 30,000 patients links red and processed meat consumption with a slightly higher risk of heart disease and death, Northwestern Medicine and Cornell University reported.

Photo Insert: The State Office in Washington D.C., United States (placed in the photo)

Eating two servings of red meat, processed meat, or poultry — but not fish — per week was linked to a 3 to 7% higher risk of cardiovascular disease, the study found. Eating two servings of red meat or processed meat — but not poultry or fish — per week was associated with a 3% higher risk of all causes of death.

“It’s a small difference, but it’s worth trying to reduce red meat and processed meat like pepperoni, bologna, and deli meats,” said senior study author Norrina Allen, associate professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Red meat consumption also is consistently linked to other health problems like cancer.”

“Modifying intake of these animal protein foods may be an important strategy to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death at a population level,” said lead study author Victor Zhong, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell, who did the research when he was a postdoctoral fellow in Allen’s lab.

The paper published in the February 3, 2020 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine now gets support from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) study published in the journal Nature on May 4, 2022, that says fungus-based protein is better.

The new findings come on the heels of a controversial meta-analysis published last November that recommended people not reduce the amount of red meat and processed meat they eat. “Everyone interpreted that it was OK to eat red meat, but I don’t think that is what the science supports,” Allen said.

“Our study shows the link to cardiovascular disease and mortality was robust,” Zhong said.

“Fish, seafood, and plant-based sources of protein such as nuts and legumes, including beans and peas, are excellent alternatives to meat and are under-consumed in the US,” said study co-author Linda Van Horn, professor of preventive medicine at Feinberg who also is a member of the 2020 US Dietary Guidelines Advisory committee.

The study found a positive association between poultry intake and cardiovascular disease, but the evidence so far isn’t sufficient to make a clear recommendation about poultry intake, Zhong said. Still, fried chicken is not recommended.

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