Doesn’t red meat pose a health risk after all?!

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Almost all research is observational and cannot conclusively establish cause and effect relationships. Most of them are influenced by variables such as the fact that meat-eaters may simply eat fewer vegetables, or tend to smoke more or exercise less. Moreover, many of them are based on self-reported consumption. The simple fact is that people don’t remember exactly what they eat. And finally, the effect sizes reported in these scientific articles are often small. After this, the question arises, is it really worth worrying about the alleged 15% higher risk of cancer?

New method, new result

Scientists at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Measurement and Evaluation (IHME) examined decades of research on red meat consumption and its links to various health problems, developing a new rating system for communicating health risks in the process. Their results mostly dispel concerns about red meat consumption.

“We found no conclusive evidence of an association between red meat consumption and colon cancer, breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, and ischemic heart disease. We also found no evidence of an association between unprocessed red meat and ischemic stroke or between hemorrhagic stroke”, summarized the results of the research.

bigthink.com