Scientists say eating red meat DOESN’T increase your risk of heart attack
For years we've been told to cut down red meat for your health, but new research suggests that's not the case...
FOR years we've been told to cut down on our consumption of red meat as part of a healthier diet and to help avoid cardiovascular disease.
And while this morning we revealed that bacon sarnies are linked to a higher risk of an asthma attack, now researchers have found that eating more red meat than is recommended does not actually affect short team cardiovascular disease risk factors, like blood pressure and blood cholesterol.
The research was put together by scientists at Purdue University in the US, where the experts reviewed previous clinical trials.
Wayne Campbell, a professor of nutrition science at the university said:
"During the last 20 years, there have been recommendations to eat less red meat as part of a healthier diet, but our research supports that red meat can be incorporated into a healthier diet.
"Red meat is a nutrient-rich food, not only as a source for protein but also bioavailable iron."
The recommendations to eat less red meat in your diet come mainly from studies that relate to peoples' eating habits to whether they have cardiovascular disease.
And while these studies do suggest there is an association between red meat consumption and a higher risk of heart disease, the studies are not actually designed to show that red meat causes it.
With this in mind, Campbell and his team analysed past clinical trials that are able to detect cause and effect between eating habits and health risks.
During the process, the team screened hundreds of related research articles and focused on studies that met specific criteria, including the amount of red meat consumed, evaluation of cardiovascular disease risk factors and study design.
An analysis of the 24 studies that met the criteria is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The research included all different types of red meat, but mostly unprocessed beef and pork.
Doctoral student Lauren O'Connor, who worked on the research, said:
"We found that consuming more than half a serving per day of red meat, which is equivalent to a 3 ounce serving three times per week, did not worsen blood pressure and blood total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglyceride concentrations, which are commonly screened by health-care providers."
But Campbell did add that more analysis was needed, as blood pressure and cholesterol aren't the only risk factors associated with heart disease. Particularly as the length of the experiments ranged from weeks to months, as opposed to the years it can take someone to develop cardiovascular disease.
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He added:
"It is also important to recognise that our findings are specific to selected indicators for cardiovascular disease risk,
"Comparable research is needed to assess other health risk factors from clinical trials, including inflammation and blood glucose control."