Many people eat this kind of meat every day! Not only does it damage the cardiovascular system, it also increases the risk of diabetes

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Friends who like to eat meat are really miserable.

Grilled skewers are unhealthy, fried chicken makes you fat

Now there is another bad news

Eating too much red meat is not good!

Red meat usually refers to livestock meat , such as meat from mammals such as pork, cattle, and sheep, as well as processed red meat such as sausages and bacon.

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Protein has a mild pro-inflammatory ability, especially eating too much red meat and processed meat, which will increase the level of inflammatory factors in the body.

Friends who often read our popular science articles know that the body's chronic low-grade inflammatory state is one of the mechanisms that induce tumors.

The World Health Organization has long classified red meat as a Class 2A carcinogen, and processed red meat is even more serious, being classified as a Class 1 carcinogen.

Many recent studies have shown that red meat is associated with a variety of diseases.

For example, eating too much red meat can increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

A study published in the European Heart Journal found that eating an additional 100 grams of red meat per day would increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by 11%.

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For example, eating too much red meat is positively correlated with the risk of diabetes.

The latest research in Nature's sub-journal reveals that excessive intake of heme iron in the diet, especially from processed red meat, significantly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Among them, excessive intake of heme iron will also lead to the development of insulinemia, hyperlipidemia, and inflammation-related metabolites in a bad direction, increasing the risk of endocrine metabolic diseases.

If you don’t feel anything about these, then there is another problem with red meat that you definitely cannot ignore - eating too much red meat can make you gain weight!

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Because red meat is high in saturated fat, a long-term high-red meat diet is significantly associated with weight gain.

I can only say that there is still a big difference between meats. Beef and mutton are delicious, but they are also very fattening...

It's not that extreme. At least half of the meat in the vegetable market is red. It would be a bit unreasonable if all of it could not be eaten.

In addition, red meat is rich in protein, vitamin B12 , iron, zinc and other minerals , which are all needed by the human body.

So you still have to eat, but the way of eating has changed.

First of all, the amount of red meat intake should be controlled

The World Cancer Research Fund recommends that people should not consume more than 500 grams of red meat per week.

Seeing this number, many people might say: "One pound a week is not enough, I eat one pound of meat in one meal!"

Don’t worry! There is a way!

Although you eat less red meat, you can balance the intake of other meats and increase the intake of white meat.

We can refer to the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022) and eat them like this:

● Fish, poultry, eggs and lean meat should be consumed in moderation, an average of 120 to 200 grams per day.

● It is best to eat fish twice a week or 300-500 grams, eggs 300-350 grams, and livestock and poultry meat 300-500 grams.

● Eat less processed meat products.

● Eggs are rich in nutrients, so eat eggs without discarding the yolk.

● Give priority to fish and eat less fatty, smoked and cured meat products.

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When eating, don't eat a week's worth of food at once. Try to spread this amount of food over different meals . It's best to have meat in every meal and eggs every day.

Secondly, the method of cooking red meat should also be changed

Try to use steaming and boiling cooking methods as much as possible, and reduce frying and grilling . This can reduce the risk of excessive intake of saturated fat and carcinogens.

In addition, if you want to fight chronic inflammation in your body, you should also remember to follow an anti-inflammatory diet.

These foods are preferred!

Foods rich in ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: deep-sea fish, blackberries, flax seeds, etc.;

Whole grain carbohydrates : corn, oats, buckwheat, millet, whole wheat steamed bread, whole wheat bread, etc.;

Foods rich in tea polyphenols: light green tea, light black tea, etc.;

Adequate amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables: It is recommended that they account for two-thirds of the total food intake.

As long as everyone eats well, eats right, and is not picky about food, red meat is not a big problem at all.

Statement: This article is a medical-related educational popular science article. It does not involve specific treatment methods or medical behaviors and cannot replace hospital visits.

Experts who reviewed this article

References

[1] Lü Yaru, Zhu Ruifang, Zhang Jun, et al. Research progress of anti-inflammatory diet in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases[J]. Nursing Research, 2024, 38(14): 2531-2537.

[2] Yang Yuexin, Ge Keyou. Chinese Nutrition Science Encyclopedia 2nd Edition (Volume 2)[M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2019

[3]Afshin, Ashkan, et al. "Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017." The Lancet 393.10184 (2019): 1958-1972.

Content Production

Editor: Zhang Fuyao

Map: Eastern Zhou Dynasty