Is Eating Meat Good or Bad for your Health? Read on to Decode the Recent Headlines.

“A new study has found that eating a diet that’s rich in animal protein and red meat can seriously decrease your lifespan.”

“New study finds one food can take 36 minutes off your life each time you eat it but eating this food adds 33 minutes to your life.”

“Competitive hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut, who has eaten 1,094 hot dogs in just one competition, has shortened his life by 39,384 hours, or 27 days, based on this diet.”

But wait, then there is this headline!

“Meat-eating extends human life expectancy worldwide.”

The headlines can leave you with whiplash. One day we hear that meat-eating substantially increases your risk of dying and the next day, eating meat improves longevity. Which is it?

This post is not suggesting you stop eating meat or start eating meat to improve your health but to understand the headlines and why it is best to take a balanced approach to get the nutrients you need in your diet.

Today, let’s look at the headlines to help you decide what is best for you.

Let’s start with the negative headlines because we seem to like bad news when it comes to what we eat! (Why else would there be so many stories start with the headline “The five foods we should never eat to prevent _____ “ fill in the blank!)

The data set used to generate the research leading to those negative headlines comes primarily from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) studies. A team of researchers at the University of Washington provides data and estimates the burden of disease and injuries around the world. These data are influential in food policies, from school lunch to national and international dietary guidelines. Published every two years from 1990 to 2020, they generate widely regarded reports on what we should eat to save ourselves and save the planet.

In 2019, the GBD data found that deaths caused by diets high in processed meat were estimated to be more than double from the 2017 data, and deaths caused by diets high in red meat had increased 36-fold. How could such a drastic change take place in just two years? That is what Dr. Alice Stanton and her colleagues wanted to know. Dr. Stanton is the Director of Human Health at Devenish Nutrition and Professor of Cardiovascular Pharmacology at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. When she dug into the data, she found very little evidence to support the new estimates. Peer-reviewed research should be available to all as it is a way to ensure transparency, yet the data was not forthcoming. After much persistence, Dr. Stanton and her colleagues published a letter to the journal that published the 2019 GBD report. The link is found here but, it’s pretty technical so I’ve asked Dr. Stanton to give us the bottom line. “Global health estimates provide valuable, easily assessable, data to researchers and policymakers. Yet, all global health metrics, that are used in decision making, must be rigorously and transparently evidence-based. Animal foods, such as dairy, meat, fish, eggs are nutrient-rich foods. Very excessive consumption of red or processed meat (large portions every day of the week) has indeed been associated with small increases in the risk of diabetes, heart attacks, and colon cancer in some studies – other studies have shown no such association. However insufficient red meat consumption (<2 portions/week) has very clearly been associated, in many studies, with substantial poor outcomes – in particular, childhood stunting (poor physical and brain development in children under the age of 5 years), impaired childhood cognition, anemia in women, and osteoporosis and sarcopenia in the elderly.”

That leads us to the headlines stating that meat consumption increases longevity. Could eating meat help older adults live longer? (Click here for the study.)

Meat (and other animal source foods, such as eggs, fish, and dairy) “provide unique essential nutrients important for healthy diets and consuming too little animal-sourced foods can worsen diet quality, increasing the risk of nutrient deficiencies and ill health.” Says Dr. Ty Beal, Research Advisor for the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition. “Despite concerted efforts to improve diet quality and reduce malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies remain widespread globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries and among population groups with increased needs, where diets are often inadequate in iron, zinc, folate, vitamin A, calcium, and vitamin B12.” (For Dr. Beal’s most recent publication click here.)

“Meat and other animal-source foods are among the top sources of nutrients commonly lacking, especially among vulnerable groups like young children and women of reproductive age. Too little animal-source foods may hinder child growth and development and may not be optimal for longevity,” according to Dr. Beal.

For older adults, protein is a key nutrient for maintaining muscle mass. As we age, muscle is less sensitive to the anabolic (building up) stimulating effects of dietary protein so increasing protein intake can help preserve muscle mass. Engaging in strength training can preserve muscle mass and strength. Many older adults also are concerned with weight gain as energy needs decline as we age. Choosing nutrient-rich animal-sourced foods can help us meet our protein and nutrient needs without excess calories and help stave off sarcopenia.

Photo credit: National Cattleman’s Beef Association

In my last post, my husband wrote a guest post on his decision to stop eating meat. It had nothing do to with health or the environment, but an ethical choice on animal consumption.

People choose to eat meat or not for a variety of reasons, health, environmentally friendly, ethical, cultural, or religion. We should honor everyone’s choice.

For those who choose to eat meat, remember balance is important….no need to adopt the carnivore diet and eat only meat! Choose a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses, and include small portions of lean meat if it suits your lifestyle. A plant-based diet doesn’t mean only plants. There is room for animal-sourced foods to obtain quality protein and nutrients needed for good health and optimal aging.

Disclosure: Drs Stanton and Beal were speakers at a recent sponsored conference that I attended. I was not asked or compensated to write this post. All thoughts are my own based on my interpretation of the science presented.

Dr. Chris Rosenbloom is a registered dietitian and nutrition professor emerita at Georgia State University. She is co-author of the consumer book, Food & Fitness After 50. Learn more about healthy aging click here to follow her blog.

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