Cutting back on red meat is standard medical advice to prevent cancer and heart disease – but a review of dozens of studies has concluded that the potential risk is low and evidence uncertain.
Aljazeera reported that in new guidelines, a panel of researchers from seven countries suggested, “Adults continue current unprocessed red meat consumption”.
The expert opinion, which immediately drew a sharp reaction from other experts, added that adults should also continue current processed meat consumption.
The research, analyzed multiple studies that, taken together, showed that reducing red meat consumption by three servings per week could lower cancer mortality by seven deaths per 1,000 people.
It is stated that any such decline was modest and that they had found only a “low” degree of certainty about the statistic.
Furthermore, the quality of evidence linking processed meat with cardiovascular diseases and diabetes was “very low”.
One of the researcher stated, that there are very small risk reductions in cancer, heart disease and diabetes, however, the evidence is uncertain. Bradley Johnston, an epidemiology professor at Canada’s Dalhousie University and director of the NutriRECS group that put together the guidelines, AFP reported.
