Is Eating Red Meat Bad for Your Health?

Hi everyone, welcome back to Today I will be mentioning a topic that is very close to me, something that I have been working on for more than a year now. The topic in hand is about the consumption of red meat and whether it is bad for you or not. 

Personally I don't see anything wrong with eating red meat except that it should done in moderation, as with all things in dieting and healthy eating. From personal experience, I would eat meat 5-6 days of the week with hardly much fruit, vegetables or healthy legumes in my diet. 

For more than a year now I have managed to eat meat almost 1-2 days a week with an emphasis on eating more vegetables and legumes. The difference in my health was incomparable as I haven't felt sick or ill in a year (just a itchy throat once in the winter but that's about it) and I feel way lighter than ever before. 

Again I am not against eating meat but rather I believe it should be less consumed than fruit and veg on a regular basis. I will leave down below a piece from MedicalNewsToday highlighting the debate around the consumption of red meat and arguments from both sides.

Some recent research suggests that eating red meat regularly could increase the risk of cancer or death. The findings of specific studies vary, however. 
One 2015 paper states that red meat is "probably carcinogenic to humans," and that processed meat is "carcinogenic to humans." This is consistent with the World Health Organization's (WHO)classifications.
Specifically, the paper states that based on several large studies, people who ate more red meat were more likely to develop colorectal cancer. The risk was higher for both red meat and processed meat, though processed meat seemed to raise the risk more.
The research also found a higher risk of pancreatic and prostate cancer in those who ate red meat. Finally, those who ate more processed meat also had a higher risk of stomach cancer.
The authors say that meat processing methods, such as curing and smoking, can create cancer causing chemicals. This may be why researchers have linked processed meat with greater health risks than unprocessed meat.
Other research has also shown links between red meat and cancer. For example:
  • One study tracked over 42,000 women for 7 years and found that higher consumption of red meat had links with a higher risk of invasive breast cancer. Conversely, women who ate poultry instead of red meat had a lower risk.
  • Another study, which followed 53,000 women and 27,000 men, found that those who ate red meat, especially processed meat, had higher mortality rates over the course of 8 years. The participants did not have heart disease or cancer when the study began. Increases of "at least half a serving" of red meat per day had a 10% higher mortality risk.
  • A large study that followed more than 120,000 men and women for 10 years found that only processed red meat, not unprocessed types, was associated with a higher risk of death.
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Feel free to read the article in full and make an informed decision about eating red meat. Also, drop a comment down below about how much red meat you eat (or if you don't eat it let me know too) and how you feel about it. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day!