I know this might disappoint some vegetarians, but meat eating will not kill you.

That’s right. I’m saying you can completely ignore scare headlines like these…

“All Red Meat Linked to Premature Death”

“Huge study shows red meat boosts risk of dying young”

Hmmm… Do those sound WAY over the top? Does meat really deserve headlines with a pandemic threat level?

No.

And you’ll never guess who completely contradicts the headlines. The lead author of the Harvard study that prompted those headlines.

More importantly, there’s one word in this study that punctures the results. It takes all the air out of the scare.

The hot dog effect

If you want good health, eat high quality meat. Yes, it’s that simple.

And don’t pay any attention to the nonsense about saturated fat dangers. Eating large amounts every day isn’t a good idea. But saturated fats actually help your body absorb the critical fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

That’s probably one reason why the lead author of the meat study told NPR that he’s not advocating a vegetarian diet. In fact, he said that a serving of red meat every other day is “fine.”

So either those headlines are exaggerating (of course they are), or this researcher is carelessly flirting with premature death (of course he’s not).

The study results confirm one thing we already knew. Processed meats aren’t healthy. These include bacon, hot dogs, sausage, bologna, etc.

But the study also found a link between everyday consumption of what the researchers call “unprocessed red meat” and higher risk of heart disease and cancer mortality.

Here’s what the Harvard team considers unprocessed… Beef, pork, or lamb as a main dish. Also, hamburger, beef, pork, or lamb as a sandwich or mixed dish.

Now… Did you catch the one word that completely derails the results of this study?

Hamburger. An unprocessed meat? I don’t think so!

If you were a subject in this study, and you ate a fast food burger every day, then The Harvard team classified your diet in the “unprocessed” meat category.

It’s absurd! And most people who eat those burgers order a side of French fries. That means they’re getting plenty of trans fatty acids. And research CLEARLY links TFAs to heart disease and cancer mortality.

Harvard? Please rework your study.

Headline writers? Please dial back the absurd fear factor by about 98%.

Sources:

“Red Meat Consumption and Mortality” Archives of Internal Medicine, published online ahead of print 3/12/12, archinte.ama-assn.org

“Death By Bacon? Study Finds Eating Meat Is Risky” Allison Aubrey, 3/12/12, npr.org

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