From the Guidelines
The American Heart Association recommends limiting red meat consumption to no more than 3 servings per week, with each serving being about 3-4 ounces (85-113 grams) cooked, roughly the size of a deck of cards. This recommendation aims to balance nutritional benefits with health risks. Red meat provides valuable nutrients like protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, but excessive consumption has been linked to increased risks of heart disease, certain cancers (particularly colorectal), and other chronic conditions. Processed red meats like bacon, sausage, and deli meats should be limited even further due to their higher sodium and preservative content. When consuming red meat, choose leaner cuts, trim visible fat, use healthier cooking methods like grilling or baking rather than frying, and balance your diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and plant proteins. This moderate approach allows you to enjoy red meat while minimizing potential health risks, as suggested by the NutriRECS consortium 1.
Some key points to consider:
- The certainty of evidence for the potential adverse health outcomes associated with meat consumption was low to very low 1
- A decrease of 3 servings per week of both unprocessed red meat and processed meat may have a very small and uncertain absolute risk reduction in cardiometabolic and cancer outcomes 1
- People considering a decrease in their meat consumption should be aware of this evidence and consider their individual values and preferences 1
- The panel suggests that adults continue current unprocessed red meat consumption (weak recommendation, low-certainty evidence) and continue current processed meat consumption (weak recommendation, low-certainty evidence) 1
It's also important to note that different countries have different dietary guidelines, but most recommend limiting red meat consumption and emphasizing plant-based foods, as seen in the guidelines from Kenya, Pakistan, Canada, France, New Zealand, and the United States of America 1.
Overall, a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods and limits red meat consumption can help minimize potential health risks while still providing essential nutrients.
From the Research
Red Meat Consumption and Health Risks
- The ideal amount of red meat to eat per week is not explicitly stated in the provided studies, but research suggests that higher red and processed meat intakes are associated with greater risks of developing or dying from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) 2.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis found that plant-based dietary patterns, which tend to be low in red meat, are associated with a lower risk of T2D, CVD, cancer, and mortality 3.
- Another study found that hospital records of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are associated with an increased risk of CVD, cancer, and mortality among people with T2DM, but did not specifically examine red meat consumption 4.
Adiposity and Mortality Relationships
- Research on adiposity-mortality relationships in type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and cancer subgroups found that the obesity paradox, where overweight/obesity is associated with mortality benefits, may be explained by confounding and reverse causality rather than a genuine clinical benefit of excess body weight 5.
- A study on the Cardiovascular Repository for Type 1 Diabetes (CaRe-T1D) initiative aimed to advance understanding of mechanisms underlying cardiovascular disease in type 1 versus type 2 diabetes, but did not provide direct guidance on red meat consumption 6.
Key Findings
- Higher red and processed meat intakes are associated with greater health risks, but the optimal amount of red meat to eat per week is not clearly defined in the provided studies.
- Plant-based dietary patterns, which tend to be low in red meat, are associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases and mortality.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the relationships between red meat consumption, adiposity, and health outcomes.