Research shows that red meat, including beef, lamb, and pork along with processed kinds such as deli meats, ham, bacon, hot dogs, and sausage – are most dangerous when consumed frequently. Your goal should be to consume no more than four servings of lean red meat per week. So, if you do indulge, stick with leaner cuts, and try to consume no more than 115 grams in a sitting.
Red meat increases the risk of heart disease.
In general, red meats have more cholesterol and saturated fat than chicken, fish, and vegetable proteins such as beans. A 115-gram cut of boneless, cooked steak – roughly the size of a deck of cards – has 93mg cholesterol and 17g of fat (6.6g of which are saturated) compared to a 115-gram cooked salmon’s 62mg cholesterol and 7g of fat (1g of which is saturated).
Both cholesterol and saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol, which can lead to or worsen heart disease. Furthermore, when the body processes high-cholesterol foods like red meat, it produces a compound called trimethylamine N-Oxide. A study published in the journal ‘Nature’ showed that increased levels of this compound lead to arterial blood clots, which can cause heart attacks and strokes. Fatty red meats, including ground beef, are the likeliest to lead to such problems. If you indulge in red meat, stick with the leaner cuts!
Red meat can also lead to cancer.
Studies have demonstrated that increasing red meat, and particularly processed meat consumption – like bacon or hot dogs – is related to increasing colorectal cancers. The trigger is suspected to be heme iron, found only in meat (and highest in red meats), that may play a role in the production of cell-damaging, cancer-causing compounds.
Red meat causes inflammation.
Meat contains several compounds, like saturated fat and high levels of iron, that promote the detrimental process of inflammation. Inflammation can occur in various parts of the body, though it is very gradual, and often times, asymptomatic. After years of steady buildup, this chronic inflammation can lead to heart disease, stroke, cancer, and even arthritis.
Red meat is linked to diabetes.
In a major study combining data from nearly 150,000 participants over two decades (across three smaller studies), researchers found that people who increased their consumption of red meat over time also increased their risk of developing type-2 diabetes by 48 percent. The link may be more related to obesity, since high consumption of red meat is a risk factor for obesity, and obesity is a risk factor for diabetes.
Eating red meat too often can make you fat.
The International Journal of Obesity published a review of data showing that, if you down 142 grams of red meat (or more) a day, you are 27 percent more likely to become obese than those who eat lean proteins, and have a 33 percent higher possibility of central obesity which is belly fat that more progressively leads to cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Eating red meat can shorten your life span.
Always opt for lean meat or plant-based proteins, which studies have shown to have a lower mortality risk than a diet rich in red meat. The mortality rates are highest for those with other unhealthy lifestyle factors – particularly obesity (or even being mildly overweight); smoking; physical inactivity; and heavy alcohol consumption.
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Nik Amirul (@NikAmerol) 
