High Miles
2013-03-19 22:55:02 UTC
Science: Beef Good, Bacon Not So Bad
A new European study claims an increase in processed-meat
consumption raises the risk of early death. But the real news? Red
meat won't kill you.
---By Stephanie Mencimer
<http://www.motherjones.com/authors/stephanie-mencimer>
| Mon Mar. 18, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Earlier this month, researchers announced the results of a big new
nutritional study <http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/11/63> in
Europe that seemed to yield more evidence that processed meats like
bacon and sausage can lead to an early grave. The media responded with
the usual "Death by Salami
<http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/world-our-backyard/2013/mar/11/death-salami-study-finds-processed-meats-may-lead-/>"
headlines. What news outlets downplayed about the study, though, is that
despite their best efforts, the EU researchers couldn't find any
evidence that red meat will kill you. In fact, the study shows that
/not/ eating red meat is a risk factor for an early demise.
After correcting some measurement errors, the researchers in Europe had
to conclude that not only was red meat intake "no longer associated with
mortality" but "all-cause mortality was higher among participants with
very low or no red meat consumption."
The government <http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2010.asp>, public
health advocates, and the American Heart Association
<http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/WeightManagement/LosingWeight/Eat-More-Chicken-Fish-and-Beans-than-Red-Meat_UCM_320278_Article.jsp>
have long warned Americans that overconsumption of red meat can lead to
heart disease and other ailments. Yet the scientific evidence supporting
this hypothesis has always been weak
<http://garytaubes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Science-The-soft-science-of-dietary-fat.pdf>.
And in fact, this month's study isn't the first to fly in the face of
these assumptions. A large study in Japan
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22333876> also found no increase in
heart disease deaths from moderate meat consumption as well.
A new European study claims an increase in processed-meat
consumption raises the risk of early death. But the real news? Red
meat won't kill you.
---By Stephanie Mencimer
<http://www.motherjones.com/authors/stephanie-mencimer>
| Mon Mar. 18, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Earlier this month, researchers announced the results of a big new
nutritional study <http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/11/63> in
Europe that seemed to yield more evidence that processed meats like
bacon and sausage can lead to an early grave. The media responded with
the usual "Death by Salami
<http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/world-our-backyard/2013/mar/11/death-salami-study-finds-processed-meats-may-lead-/>"
headlines. What news outlets downplayed about the study, though, is that
despite their best efforts, the EU researchers couldn't find any
evidence that red meat will kill you. In fact, the study shows that
/not/ eating red meat is a risk factor for an early demise.
After correcting some measurement errors, the researchers in Europe had
to conclude that not only was red meat intake "no longer associated with
mortality" but "all-cause mortality was higher among participants with
very low or no red meat consumption."
The government <http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2010.asp>, public
health advocates, and the American Heart Association
<http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/WeightManagement/LosingWeight/Eat-More-Chicken-Fish-and-Beans-than-Red-Meat_UCM_320278_Article.jsp>
have long warned Americans that overconsumption of red meat can lead to
heart disease and other ailments. Yet the scientific evidence supporting
this hypothesis has always been weak
<http://garytaubes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Science-The-soft-science-of-dietary-fat.pdf>.
And in fact, this month's study isn't the first to fly in the face of
these assumptions. A large study in Japan
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22333876> also found no increase in
heart disease deaths from moderate meat consumption as well.