The new guidelines were released in Annals of Internal Medicine , a prestigious medical journal published by the American College of Physicians. Indeed, the guidelines are not telling people to eat all the meat they can. Around the world, global meat production has grown by five times since the s.
In the early s, the average Chinese person ate 30 pounds of meat a year. Today that number is nearly pounds, in a country that has grown to more than 1 billion people. Globally, meat consumption is projected to increase by 75 percent over the next three decades. The health effects of this consumption are significant, and on track to become much more so.
Yet the guidelines ignore the most important way in which food affects our bodies, minds, communities, and so much else that constitutes health. The day before the news reports came out, on a Sunday morning, I got a frenetic call from the physician and researcher David Katz. A fellow in the ACP, he was mobilizing his colleagues internally and throughout the nutrition world in preparation for the publication of the guidelines. Annals of Internal Medicine was, in fact, about to devote the better part of an entire issue to the consequences of eating meat.
This is uncommon. Getting even a single study published in the journal is considered a high achievement. To arrive at this conclusion, the authors used a technique known as GRADE , which subjectively evaluates different types of evidence. For example, a drug would not simply be recommended because it is effective; the amount of effect would be considered alongside things such as reliability, side effects, and other costs.
And because it deemed this evidence weak, it chose to recommend that people do not attempt to change their habits. In addition to the risks of metabolic diseases and death, these guidelines took into account a curious variable: People like eating meat. Typically, a medical journal publishes its findings and then gives some analysis of what those findings might mean, but it is unusual for authors to extrapolate findings into recommendations. It is especially rare when the directives bear on heart disease, the No.
And incorporating patient preferences into the guidelines themselves is controversial. So why would Annals publish this press release, and guidelines, saying otherwise? A distinguished professor at McMaster University, Guyatt has had an enormous impact on medicine. Hu says there is a much stronger association with a higher risk of heart disease and cancer especially colon cancer. Processed meat products contain high amounts of additives and chemicals, which may contribute to health risks.
You don't need to eat red meat. Red meat has high amounts of protein, which helps promote muscle growth, and vitamin B 12 to make red blood cells. A serving of red meat is also a good source of zinc, which can help the body produce testosterone, and selenium, a powerful antioxidant.
Plus, red meat is rich in iron. However, Dr. Hu says that you don't need to eat red meat to get these essential nutrients. Some kinds of red meat are not necessarily healthier. There are no firm studies that have shown nutritional or health advantages from eating organic or grass-fed beef. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.
Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Thanks for visiting. It is healthier to grill over medium or indirect heat. Hu recommends cooking meats via sous vide to avoid burning.
In this cooking method, the meat is placed in an airtight plastic bag or container and cooked in a water bath at a precise temperature. People who eat meat daily may find it hard to change their diets. However, if you are tempted to follow up reading this article with an extra helping of red meat, you might want to pause for thought. We consume far more protein that we really need — and supplementing your diet with extra protein is pointless.
Most people already get more than their daily recommended protein allowance from their food. Even the fitness-conscious should not spend money on protein supplements — unnecessary protein is excreted out of the body. Taking supplements is like flushing money down the loo. All content within this column is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional.
The BBC is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this site. The BBC is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your health. Join more than one million Future fans by liking us on Facebook , or follow us on Twitter or Instagram.
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