1.1 Red Meat Serving Increases CVD Risk by 22%: A New Study Finds

According to a recent study, consumption of red meat is linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). For every 1.1% serving of red meat, the chances of CVD increase by 22% which is even greater than what we think.

Red Meat and Human Health – What’s the Association?

When it comes to making protein choices, animal protein sources have been particularly important. This especially includes red meat. Red meat contains a good amount of protein and is readily available. 

Red meat consumption remained controversial because of its possible side effects on human health. This particularly takes into account our heart health. For this very reason, medical experts ask to limit the consumption of red meat especially if you are already at a high risk of suffering from cardiac problems.

I remember when my uncle was getting treated at Doctors Hospital Lahore after getting a minor heart attack, the doctor immediately restricted his red meat consumption due to increased levels of cholesterol in his blood and due to a family history of heart problems.

CVD and Red Meat Consumption

Cardiovascular Diseases are particularly important in this regard. Cardiovascular disease is a general term that refers to many conditions that affect your heart function or blood vessels. These conditions usually come from the deposition of fat. Other than this, the following are the causes of CVD.

• High blood cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Chronic conditions
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Tobacco use
• Being overweight

Your dietary choices are also linked with an increase in the risk of cardiovascular problems. This is probably bad news for red meat lovers. Many studies previously reported the impact of red meat consumption on heart health. It is thought that red meat consumption changes the activities in your gut that are responsible for its harmful effects on your health.

Red Meat and CVD – What Research Says?

Currently, there was research performed in this regard to study this. This study was published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology and was done by the researchers at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. 

These scientists worked on pathways that are involved in the causation of CBDs due to the consumption of red meat. The study focused on finding the connection between red meat and atherosclerosis, especially among people above 65 years of age. This large observational study was performed over a span of 12.5 years and studies the association between the production of metabolites in the body after consuming red meat. These metabolites were found to be trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and its key intermediates.

According to the results of research, after you consume red meat, there is the production of metabolites by the gut bacteria that are residing in your body. These metabolites are associated with an increased risk of ASCVD (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease) in people who are 65+ years of age.

This research analyzed data from 4000 men and women who were 65 years of age. The observational study was carried out by the National Institute of Health. For every 1.1 serving of red meat, the risk of CVD increases by 22%. This means that 3.3 servings of red meat in a day (3 times) will increase the risk by 82%. 

“This is an interesting and novel study seeking to clarify what mediates the observed ASCVD risk with higher consumption of animal foods. Many previous studies have shown increased risk associated with red meat and processed meat, but the reasons were not clear,” said Dr. Alex Moorman.

Dr. Wilson Tang said that “what we eat is modified by the bacteria living inside us, and while this provides a wide range of benefits for our health, some metabolites can potentially promote diseases such as atherosclerosis and may lead to downstream adverse cardiac events.”

Bottom Line

A new study reported that the consumption of red meat is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular problems. The study highlighted the mechanism involved in this and revealed how consuming 1.1 servings of red meat can increase your risk of CVD by 22% in people above 65 years. Thus, it is recommended to limit your consumption to keep yourself healthy. Further, it is also important to keep an eye on your warning signs to keep your heart healthy.