Abstract
Red
meat is long established as an important dietary source of protein and
essential nutrients including iron, zinc and vitamin B12, yet recent
reports that its consumption may increase the risk of cardiovascular
disease (CVD) and colon cancer have led to a negative perception of the
role of red meat in health. The aim of this paper is to review existing
literature for both the risks and benefits of red meat consumption,
focusing on case–control and prospective studies. Despite many studies
reporting an association between red meat and the risk of CVD and colon
cancer, several methodological limitations and inconsistencies were
identified which may impact on the validity of their findings. Overall,
there is no strong evidence to support the recent conclusion from the
World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) report that red meat has a convincing
role to play in colon cancer. A substantial amount of evidence supports
the role of lean red meat as a positive moderator of lipid profiles with
recent studies identifying it as a dietary source of the
anti-inflammatory long chain (LC) n−3 PUFAs and conjugated
linoleic acid (CLA). In conclusion, moderate consumption of lean red
meat as part of a balanced diet is unlikely to increase risk for CVD or
colon cancer, but may positively influence nutrient intakes and fatty
acid profiles, thereby impacting positively on long-term health.
Keywords
- Red meat consumption;
- Processed meat;
- Lean red meat;
- Cardiovascular disease;
- Colon cancer;
- Long-chain n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
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Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
