No Need To Reduce Red Meat Consumption For Good Health, Experts Suggest
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- New red meat guidelines are raising some eyebrows. A panel of experts say there is no need to reduce red meat or processed meat consumption for good health.
Guy Mishani enjoys a good burger once in a while.
"I think everything in moderation is fine," he said.
It's estimated most adults eat red meat and processed meat about three to four times per week. And experts have suggested less is better.
But now new guidelines published in the Annals of Internal Medicine say most people do not need to lower their amount of red and processed meat.
"After putting all of the studies together, you know some of them with millions of people pushed together into big analysis, they found that there were really very small health effects if they exist, with respect to eating less meat or processed meat and it truly affecting your health," Dr. Aaron Carroll with Indiana University's School of Medicine said.
An international panel of experts from seven countries is making its recommendations based on five large reviews of evidence. In one review, researchers did not find an important association between meat consumption and the risk of heart disease, diabetes or cancer.
Some major medical groups, including The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, are taking aim at the new research.
The group filed a petition with the Federal Trade Commission to stop false statements, citing abundant evidence that links red and processed meat consumption to heart disease, colorectal cancer and increased risk of premature death.
Carroll says the new findings are not a green light to eat as much red meat as you want.
"If you're eating a ton of red meat, probably you shouldn't -- I mean everything in moderation, you shouldn't be going crazy," Carroll said.
Many experts agree, in moderation, red meat can be a part of a healthy diet
The authors of the guidelines say they did not consider ethical or environmental reasons for abstaining from meat in their recommendations.
