Meat consumption and disease risk

Non-communicable disease risk associated with red and processed meat consumption—magnitude, certainty, and contextuality of risk.

Meat has been foundational to ancestral human diets, offering high-quality protein and bioavailable micronutrients. Despite this, dietary recommendations increasingly discourage the consumption of red and processed meats due to their alleged link to obesity and non-communicable diseases like heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes, and certain cancers. However, evidence shows that intakes below 75 and 20g/day, respectively, are likely safe to begin with and that higher intake levels may result in trivial increases in absolute risk. Moreover, according to state-of-the-art GRADE analysis, the certainty of this evidence is low to very low, potentially affected by biases and confounders.

Optimal meat intake levels vary due to differences in genetics, sex, age, health, diet, and lifestyle. For instance, some groups need more haem iron from meat, while others may suffer from iron overload. Risk assessment should also consider meat intake frequency, processing and preparation methods, and dietary interactions. The relationship between meat intake and disease risk is not one-dimensional and may not even be causal, to begin with. Harmful associations often disappear when consumption is part of healthy diets, suggesting the risk depends on the healthiness of the overall diet rather than on the presence of meat in the diet as such.

Overall, the best available evidence does not support reducing red meat intake from current average population levels for health reasons. Dietary guidelines should instead focus on healthy meal patterns tailored to individual needs. Red meat is a crucial micronutrient source and is not easily replaced by plant-based options. Recommendations to reduce meat intake must also consider potential risks like iron deficiency anaemia, sarcopenia, and malnutrition. Therefore, considering individual differences and dietary contexts, a comprehensive analysis of the benefits and harms of red and processed meats is essential.

See the full Paper by Bradley Johnston, Stefaan De Smet, Frédéric Leroy, Andrew Mente, Alice Stanton, “Non-communicable disease risk associated with red and processed meat consumption—magnitude, certainty, and contextuality of risk? | Animal Frontiers | Oxford Academic (oup.com)“