The NY Times pounced on a recently released study in the Archives of Internal Medicine: Meat Intake and Mortality. This study examined the intake of red, processed and white meat and mortality risk in over 1/2 million men and women between the ages of 50-71. Over the 10 year span of the study, 70,000 people died. And, they found that those who ate the most red and processed meat were more likely to die (had a greater risk of mortality) and both groups also had elevated levels of cardiovascular disease and cancer. White meat – you are in the clear, for now anyway.
Now you are probably thinking the meat eaters had other unhealthy habits like cigarette smoking, sitting on their butts too much (physical inactivity) and a love of bacon fat and homemade Crisco-laden biscuits. And, you may be right but, the scientists controlled for these potential factors.
These results shouldn’t be too surprising. We’ve known about the connection between saturated fat (which is high in marbled meats) and cardiovascular disease for a long time. And, the research on red meat and an increased risk of colorectal cancer is abundant. Not to mention the HCAs in broiled or grilled meats and nasty plasticizer chemicals found in many packaged meats (see my previous post on this).
So what are the good points about red meat? It’s the best source of iron, hands down. Plant based sources of iron aren’t absorbed as well. And it is loaded with zinc.
So what does this mean for you? First, limit your meat consumption. And by limit I mean you don’t need it more than 2x a week. And your portions should be about the size of your palm. That means you need to keep on driving right by Fogo de Chao (i.e. “Carcass on a Stick”) and opt for sushi or cooked fish, poultry or turkey instead. Secondly, be a little patient. Cook your meat slower and on lower temperatures. As soon as you jack up the heat, you are setting the stage for more carcinogenic compounds to form. Third, add spices to the red meat you are grilling or cooking. Garlic, oregano etc. – these will help limit the formation of those nasty cancer-causing compounds.