New research published in The Lancet Planetary Health suggests that reducing the consumption of red and processed meats in the United States could bring a wide range of health benefits, including significant reductions in the rates of heart disease, diabetes, and colorectal cancer.
The study used the results of the 2015–2016 and 2017–2018 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to create a simulated U.S. population. Then, the relative risk associated with the consumption of red and processed meats was used to estimate the effects of reduced consumption within the simulated population. The results focused on the reduction of occurrences of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer over a 10-year period, with reductions in red and processed meat consumption ranging from 5% to 100%.
The estimations showed that a 30% reduction in the consumption of processed meats in the U.S. could prevent over 350,000 cases of type 2 diabetes, over 92,000 cases of heart disease, over 53,000 cases of colorectal cancer, and nearly 17,000 all-cause deaths. Reducing consumption of red meat by 30% had even greater benefits, potentially reducing diabetes cases by over 732,000, reducing heart disease cases by over 291,000, and reducing colorectal cancer cases by over 32,000. Reducing consumption of both red and processed meats by 30% had the greatest impact and could prevent over 1,000,000 cases of diabetes, over 380,000 cases of heart disease, and over 84,000 cases of colorectal cancer.
One of the authors noted that reducing meat consumption is one of the best ways to cut the emissions of greenhouse gases, and reducing meat consumption has the added benefit of improving our health. Red and processed meats have been associated with a range of chronic health conditions. For optimal heart health and overall health, aim to eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, and lean meats.
Sources: The Lancet Planetary Health, Science Daily