Health
Does Red Meat Have Health Benefits ? (l)
For the past 40 years or so, red meat have had a bad press.
Many studies have indicated that red meat was responsible for many health malaises.
Of course there are many conflicting claims about the impact of red meat on human health. Some believe it can cause harm, while others suggest it is not associated with disease or other ill effects.
Plus, there are ethical and environmental factors to consider (though this article does not delve into those conversations).
This article reviews the evidence on the health effects of red meat, including possible benefits and downsides of incorporating it into your regular diet.
SharBefore discussing the health effects of red meat, it’s important to distinguish between different types of meat.
Red meat comes from mammals and is named such because it is red when raw.
Beef, pork, lamb, venison, and boar are examples of red meat. Chicken, turkey, and other meats from fowl (birds) are considered white meats. They are white when cooked.
Besides what animal it came from, meat can be distinguished by how it is raised and processed. Here are some key terms to know:
·Conventional meat. Conventional meats are from animals that are usually raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) or “factory farms” that confine animals and provide them with grain-based feeds. Beef that is not labelled “organic” or “grass-fed” is likely conventional and from CAFO cows.
·Grass-fed meat. This meat comes from cows that graze on grass and forage for their feed. They are not raised in a CAFO.
·Organic meat. To have an organic label, meat must come from animals that are given 100 per cent organic feed and forage and are raised in a way that accommodates grazing and other natural behaviours. They also do not receive antibiotics or hormones .
·Processed meats. These products are typically from conventionally raised animals and go through various processing methods, such as curing or smoking. Examples include sausages, hot dogs, and bacon.
·Unprocessed meats. Meats that are not cured, smoked, or otherwise heavily processed are typically referred to as unprocessed. That means ground beef and sirloin are considered unprocessed. However, since all meat is processed to some extent to be fit for consumer purchase, the term “unprocessed” really refers to minimally processed meats.
Nutritional value of red meat
Red meats provide a lot of nutrients.
For example, 4 ounces (113 grams) of 80 percent lean ground beef provides:
Calories: 287
Protein: 19 grams
Fat: 23 grams
Carbohydrates: 0 grams
Vitamin B12: 101 percent of the Daily Value (DV)
Zinc: 43 percent of the DV
Selenium: 31 percent of the DV
Niacin (Vitamin B3): 30 percent of the DV
Iron: 12 percent of the DV
The protein in beef is complete, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids that humans must get from food. Your body needs protein for muscle and tissue growth and maintenance.
Beef is also a great source of vitamin B12 — a water-soluble nutrient necessary for nervous system functioning — and zinc, a mineral that is vital for the immune system .
How meat is raised can affect nutritional composition. For example, grass-fed beef is typically lower in total and saturated fat and higher in omega-3 fatty acids compared with grain-fed beef.
However, all red meat is objectively nutritious in the sense that it provides protein, fat, and a variety of micronutrients. At the end of the day, the differences in nutritional composition between grass-fed and grain-fed beef are fairly small .
Highly processed meats, like bacon and sausages, have a more notably different nutritional profile than less processed cuts of meat. In particular, they are often very high in salt and contain other preservatives.
So, when examining the health effects of meat, it’s important to distinguish which kind of meat was included in any given study. Many studies on red meat may group together processed and unprocessed red meats, making it more difficult to parse out differences.
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Health effects of eating red meat
The effects of red meat on health have been heavily studied.
However, most of these studies are observational, meaning that they’re designed to detect associations but cannot prove causation (cause and effect).
Observational studies tend to have confounding variables — factors other than the ones being studied that might be influencing the outcome variable (10Trusted Source).
For example, an observational study may find that people who eat a lot of red meat have worse health outcomes.
However, perhaps this group of people may be more likely to smoke, drink alcohol frequently, or engage in other behaviors that contribute to undesirable health effects compared with those who don’t eat red meat.
It’s impossible to control for all of these factors and determine if red meat is a “cause” of any health outcome. That limitation is important to keep in mind when reviewing the research and determining if red meat is something you’d like to incorporate into your regular diet.
Red meat and heart disease
Several observational studies show that red meat is associated with a greater risk of death, including from heart disease .
Nevertheless, it appears that not all red meat has the same health effects. Plus, it’s important to remember the limitations of observational studies.
A large study including 134,297 individuals found that high intake of processed meat (150 or more grams per week) was significantly associated with an increased risk of death and heart disease.
However, no association was found for unprocessed red meat consumption, even in amounts of 250 or more grams per week .
Randomized controlled trials — which are considered to be higher quality than observational studies — appear to support these results.
One review of controlled studies concluded that eating half a serving (1.25 ounces), or more of unprocessed red meat daily doesn’t adversely affect heart disease risk factors, such as blood lipids and blood pressure levels.
One of the reasons processed meats may be associated with heart disease risk is the high salt content. Excessive sodium intake has been linked to high blood pressure .
Overall, it’s unclear if, how, and why unprocessed or processed red meats are connected to heart disease. We need more high quality studies to help contextualize the data.
Red meat and cancer
Observational studies also show that red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of certain cancers, especially colorectal and breast cancers .
Similar to the studies on heart disease, it appears that the type of meat makes a difference.
Consumption of processed red meats, like bacon and sausage, has been linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer. This doesn’t appear to be true for unprocessed red meats.
What’s more, a review of studies found that high processed meat intake was associated with a larger increase in breast cancer risk compared with high unprocessed meat intake.
It’s not fully understood how processed meats increase the risk of certain cancers.
However, it’s thought that using nitrites to cure meat and smoking meats can produce carcinogenic (cancer-causing) compounds. High heat cooking, such as grilling, may also create cancer-promoting compounds.
The way red meat is cooked also affects how it influences your health. When meat is cooked at a high temperature, it can form harmful compounds.
These include heterocyclic amines (HCAs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) .
According to the National Cancer Institute, lab experiments suggest these compounds may change DNA and promote cancer development.
More research is needed, though.
Here are some tips to minimize the formation of these substances when cooking red meat.
· Use gentler cooking methods, like stewing and steaming, instead of grilling and frying.
· Minimize cooking at high heats and don’t expose your meat directly to a flame.
· Limit charred and smoked food. If your meat is burnt, cut away the charred pieces.
· If you must cook at a high heat, flip your meat frequently to prevent it from burning.
· Soak your meat in a marinade, like one made with honey and herbs, before cooking. Marinating may help decrease the formation of HCAs.
Red meat appears to have health benefits and potential downsides.
Unprocessed red meat is highly nutritious and loaded with protein, vitamins, and minerals that support bodily functions. But processed red meats, such as bacon and sausage, tend to be higher in salt and may contain preservatives that could have negative health effects.
Some observational studies link red meat consumption to higher risks of heart disease, certain cancers, and death. However, research shows that the type of red meat — and how it’s prepared — seems to influence how it affects health.
Overall, more research is needed into the effects of red meats on human health.
At the end of the day, whether you should eat red meat is personal. Red meat, especially unprocessed red meat, can be incorporated into a balanced diet.
Two United States scientists who unraveled the human micro RNA have won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024.
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the coveted prize for their work on microRNA as their discoveries help explain how complex life emerged on earth and how the human body is made up of a wide variety of different tissues.
MicroRNAs influence how genes – the instructions for life – are controlled inside organisms, including humans.
Every cell in the human body contains the same raw genetic information, locked in our DNA.
However, despite starting with the identical genetic information, the cells of the human body are wildly different in form and function.
The electrical impulses of nerve cells are distinct from the rhythmic beating of heart cells. The metabolic powerhouse that is a liver cell is distinct to a kidney cell, which filters urea out of the blood.
The light-sensing abilities of cells in the retina are different in skillset to white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight infection.
So much variety can arise from the same starting material because of gene expression.
The US scientists were the first to discover microRNAs and how they exerted control on how genes are expressed differently in different tissues.
The medicine and physiology prize winners are selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute.
They said: “Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans.
“It is now known that the human genome codes for over 1,000 microRNAs.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has begun acting to curb effects of antibiotic pollution.
The new guidance on wastewater and solid waste management for antibiotic manufacturing sheds light on this important but neglected challenge ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) taking place on 26 September 2024.
The emergence and spread of AMR caused by antibiotic pollution could undermine the effectiveness of antibiotics globally, including the medicines produced at the manufacturing sites responsible for the pollution.
Despite high antibiotic pollution levels being widely documented, the issue is largely unregulated and quality assurance criteria typically do not address environmental emissions. In addition, once distributed, there is a lack of information provided to consumers on how to dispose of antibiotics when they are not used, for example, when they expire or when a course is finished but there is still antibiotic left over.
“Pharmaceutical waste from antibiotic manufacturing can facilitate the emergence of new drug-resistant bacteria, which can spread globally and threaten our health. Controlling pollution from antibiotic production contributes to keeping these life-saving medicines effective for everyone,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for AMR ad interim.
Globally, there is a lack of accessible information on the environmental damage caused by manufacturing of medicines.
“The guidance provides an independent and impartial scientific basis for regulators, procurers, inspectors, and industry themselves to include robust antibiotic pollution control in their standards,” said Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHO. “Critically, the strong focus on transparency will equip buyers, investors and the general public to make decisions that account for manufacturers’ efforts to control antibiotic pollution.”
In a concerted effort to curb brain drain, the Kebbi State Government has harmonised medical doctors’ salaries to be at par with their colleagues in the federal government’s tertiary health facilities.
Kebbi State Commissioner for Health, Musa Inusa-Isma’il, disclosed this at the handing over of ambulances to the state-owned health facilities at the Ministry of Health in Birnin Kebbi yesterday.
Inusa Isma’il, according to a statement by Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said the essence of the harmonisation was to retain the existing medical doctors and attract more to the services of the state.
According to him, the doctors across the state had already started enjoying the new salaries from August 2024.
He said the release of the vehicles was in fulfilment of Governor Nasir Idris’ promise to uplift health care services in the state.
“His Excellency said I should inform you, the beneficiaries of this gesture, that the vehicle should be strictly used for the intended purpose. It should not be used for anything else.
“If there is no referral case, each of the vehicles must be parked at the hospital by 6 pm. The governor said you should warn your drivers against reckless driving as well as violating the instructions.
“We should also do everything possible to reciprocate the gesture by working according to the terms and conditions attached,” he advised.
The benefiting health facilities included Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital, Birnin Kebbi; State Teaching Hospital, Kalgo; General Hospital, Argungu; General Hospital, Yauri; General Hospital, Zuru; and General Hospital, Bunza.
In his speech, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Shehu Koko, recalled that the ambulances were handed over to the ministry last Friday by the governor for the onward handover to the benefiting hospitals.
He observed that the ambulances would go a long way in improving the referral system in the state, adding that delays in reaching the secondary and tertiary facilities would be eliminated.
The permanent secretary attributed the high rate of maternal mortality in the country to delays in getting to the health facilities for proper medical care.
“We believe with the provision of these ambulances, part of the gaps we have in our referral system will be addressed, whereby patients who require secondary healthcare could be easily transported to secondary and tertiary health centres, where they can get such help,” he said.
In a goodwill message, Commissioner for Information and Culture Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed expressed gratitude to the governor for the support he has given to the ministry to excel.
While advising the beneficiaries to use the vehicles judiciously, the commissioner advised that services and maintenance of the vehicles must be prompt to derive the maximum benefits from the vehicles.
The commissioner also highlighted some achievements recorded by the government in the last year, including beautification of the state capital, completion of a multimillion-naira ultramodern state secretariat, road construction, construction and renovation of classrooms and upgrading of some health facilities, among others.
