Thinking of eating a burger today? Keep this in mind: according to new research study, eating red meat - any amount and any type - increases your risk of dying early:
For instance, adding just one 3-ounce serving of unprocessed red meat — picture a piece of steak no bigger than a deck of cards — to one's daily diet was associated with a 13% greater chance of dying during the course of the study.
Even worse, adding an extra daily serving of processed red meat, such as a hot dog or two slices of bacon, was linked to a 20% higher risk of death during the study.
On the other hand, eating white meat like chicken or pork is linked with reduction in the risk of premature death:
Eating a serving of nuts instead of beef or pork was associated with a 19% lower risk of dying during the study. The team said choosing poultry or whole grains as a substitute was linked with a 14% reduction in mortality risk; low-fat dairy or legumes, 10%; and fish, 7%.
But can you stop eating delicious oh so delicious red meat?
Link (Image: T-Bone Steak Plush - apparently the only safe form of meat)
while not scientific, here's a personal anecdote: my great-grandmother ate beef at least three times a week, along with pork and chicken. she also allowed herself one beer almost every day. all of that was purchased from a regular grocery store. yet, she lived to be nearly 94 years old!
my point is that, while i certainly agree that eating naturally-produced food whenever possible is the preferable option, people need to take most food studies like this with a massive, enormous grain of salt.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz1p78r0mLc
http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2012/03/red-meat-mortality-the-usual-bad-science/
+Hate to use this tired-a** trope, but this really sounds like an instance of Correlation != Causation.
-The things Red Meat consumption is Associated With, not necessarily the [unprocessed] meat itself.
More looking-into, though...
You would be hard pressed to find anything nice to say about beef other than it is effing delicious and maybe something about it being rich in vitimin b's. Cutting red meat out of a diet is certainly healthier, but as the mood of the comments above illustrates, what average Joe really cares?
Men and women with higher intake of red meat were less likely to be physically active and were more likely to be current smokers, to drink alcohol, and to have a higher body mass index (Table 1). In addition, a higher red meat intake was associated with a higher intake of total energy but lower intakes of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Unprocessed and processed red meat consumption was moderately correlated (r = 0.40 in the HPFS and 0.37 in the NHS)