Eating Red Meat May Shorten Your Life

Jacksonville - In a recently published study done by the National Cancer Institute, data suggests that eating red meats and processed meats can shorten an individual’s life span by a number of different diseases, not just cancer and heart disease as has been previously thought. The research done by the National Cancer Institute was conducted over a 10-year period of time and involved more than 500,000 middle-aged and elderly people.

In addition to cancer and heart disease, the research also pointed out that eating four or more ounces of red meat per day increases the risk of death by 30% (Archives of Internal Medicine).

While dietitians espouse a high protein diet, they also point out that the diet should be low in fat, something that red and processed meats are not. The use of beans and grains in the diet to provide protein is recommended and intake of white meats–chicken, turkey and fish–may decrease the risk of premature death by 8%.