Health Risks of Consuming Too Much Red Meat

What does red meat make you think of, A tasty platter of smoky deliciousness or the stress of cholesterol and heart disease? 

Americans eat a lot of red meat, starting from breakfast to dinner, small events to auspicious occasions, everywhere they are accompanied by red meat. 

Barbeques, hot dogs and burgers, are all the savoury delights that wouldn’t exist if there was no red meat. Picnics and house-warming parties would have been incomplete without it. But then, red meat does not only come with several controversies but also with a list of health diseases associated with it, if consumed in excess.

What is the Hype with Red Meat?

Red meat has high proportions of saturated fats. Our body needs fat, but in a very minimum quantity and it’s possible to mistakenly take an overdose. Daily consumption may lead to congested arteries, shoulder pain and give rise to more health complications. 

After a series of scientific tests, Harvard Health Publications have concluded that too much red meat can be a reason for colorectal cancer. Also, consuming much fresher meats can slow down the consequences compared to red meat.

Red meat is very high in cholesterol and might make a person feel dizzy if he/she is consuming it just before travelling or road trips. New studies don’t prove such a thing, but why take the risk when excess consumption, be it anything, remains a bad idea! 

Also, one should not cook meat at very high temperatures as it creates harmful compounds in the meat due to chemical reactions that take place in the heat. Salami, hot dogs, smoked ham, all of these aren’t safe for our health and well-being as all of these are highly processed and on top of it, they are put in high flames for long hours. 

How harmful daily consumption of red meat can prove? 

Risk of Heart Diseases 

American Heart Association (AHA) has discussed how red meats and other types of high trans fat meats increase the chances of heart disease and stroke in people of higher age groups such as around 50-60. It is therefore advisable to opt for lean cuts of meat, also limit the amount of daily meat consumption. Increased levels of carnitine predict the chances of heart-attack and breathing issues in some cases. However, proteins are a good reason to continue eating red meat but there are other heart-healthy alternatives such as legumes, for example, pinto beans chickpeas and soybeans.  

Cancer and Mortality Rate 

Recent studies imply that too much red meat consumption can lead to a higher probability of being inflicted with cancer in the future. World Health Organization (WHO) has declared red processed meat as carcinogenic to human beings. Also, Prostate Cancer and Pancreatic Cancer mostly occur at a later stage due to the high consumption of red meat in the early years. In rare cases, stomach cancer is also found in some people. 

Studies have shown that women who ate red meat daily developed invasive breast cancer within 5-7 years. Another study shows the mortality rate of both men and women increased by 20% if they reduced the daily consumption of red meat to half. 

Hardening of Blood Vessels 

Carnitine, a compound, found in red meat stiffens blood vessels and clogs them leading to further cardio-vascular diseases. 

Increased probabilities of developing type 2 diabetes 

Eating red meat over time for many years can lead to obesity and further gives rise to type 2 diabetes. Moreover, animal proteins such as different sorts of meat and fish, have shown more vulnerability to being over-weight, developing obesity and other types of cholesterol issues. These are all linked to diabetes in some or the other way. 

Full of Toxic Hormones

Published in The Archives of Internal Medicine, in a year, 90,000 women developed breast cancer. Women consuming more than 6 ounces daily of red meat had double the chances of inflicting breast cancer while those who ate half of the serving had 40% fewer chances. Researchers say that the probability of cancer is increased by the hormone-like compounds present in red-meat. The risk of cancer increases by the attachment of these hormones to the specific tumours.