Let's Discuss the Issue of Red Meat

With so many people deciding to either cut down on red meat or cut it out of their diets completely, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. After all, how could a good source of iron and protein be less than healthy? Isn’t that a hallmark of “healthy” food? Unfortunately, it’s a bit more complicated.

The Heart of the Matter
Red meat includes beef of all types (ground, roasts, ribs) and lamb. Some people also count pork as a red meat. (I do not eat mammals at all, so I consider pork a red meat.) However, any meat that is dark before it is prepared can be considered red meat. This type of meat does have some benefits. However, beef is known to have high levels of saturated fat, the kind that is best avoided. The marbled appearance you see in a raw steak comes from streaks of fat – and while it is flavorful, it is also a health risk if indulged in very often.

If you eat red meat regularly, you can significantly raise your risk for heart problems due to the fat content. A high rate of saturated fat consumption can lead to hardening of the arteries and even artery blockage. These conditions, in turn, can heighten your risk of stroke and heart disease. For many people, heart disease turns up as a heart attack, which can be fatal.

Cancer Connection
Red meat has also been connected to the occurrence of colon cancer, which has a very high mortality rate. In fact, those who eat more than 5.6 ounces of red meat daily were twice as likely to develop this dangerous disease. A burger that weighs a quarter of a pound after cooking contains four ounces of red meat
Some sources claim that eating only three ounces of red meat per day can double one’s risk of this cancer.

Women who eat a lot of red meat may unknowingly increase their odds of getting breast cancer. Even eating a little less than two servings per day can raise the chances of developing this cancer. Pancreatic cancer risk is also increased for both genders if red meat is consumed often.

If you want to eat less red meat, try eating several servings of fish every week. You can also eat nuts, legumes (beans), eggs, and pork instead of red meat; all these options will give you plenty of protein. If you want to grill burgers, you can use a small amount of hamburger meat and mix it with ground turkey or even ground chicken. The result will be flavorful and have far less fat than the traditional all-beef variety.

Personally, I have given up eating red meat as of May of this year. I do not miss it at all.