Should We Really Worry About Eating Red Meat?

article by Emily Collyer

Red Meat In Context - Why the Whole Picture Matters

Does eating red meat truly causes heart disease, cancer and diabetes? Or is eating meat the key to longevity as it seemed to be for the Plains Indians who lived on buffalo and had the highest number of centenarians in history. On the other side of the debate, we have Seventh Day Adventists who are vegetarians but are among the longest lived people on the planet.  

The truth lies in nuance: meat in isolation is rarely the whole story.

The type of meat, person's diet and lifestyle and the context matter just as much, if not more. Yes, its' tempting to search for a dietary villain and meat has long been cast in that role. But when you dig deeper, meat is not inherently carcinogenic in isolation.

Let's explore this further...

Why Red Meat Often Gets Blamed

Many of the studies that link red meat to disease don’t test “meat in a vacuum.” Instead, they observe populations who consume higher meat intakes but who also typically have other risk factors:

Consume more sugar, refined carbs, and ultra-processed foods
Eat fewer fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dietary fibre
Smoke more, exercise less, and have higher caloric intake
Display less health-conscious behaviour overall

The media loves to run headlines like “meat kills,” but they miss the bigger picture: the meat-eating group in these studies was generally less healthy across the board. The AARP Diet & Health Study showed that meat eaters overall had worse health metrics: more smoking, higher weight, more caloric intake, less physical activity, more sugar consumption, fewer fruits/vegetables, less fibre, and lower supplement use.

When one group consumes more sugar, processed foods, and meat, while another eats moderate meat alongside plenty of vegetables and whole foods, it’s overly simplistic, and misleading, to blame meat alone for the difference in health outcomes.

Fibre and plant foods are crucial

A major confounder in meat studies is fibre intake. People on plant-rich diets consume significantly more fibre than high meat eaters. Each additional 10 grams of dietary fibre per day is linked to a roughly 10% reduction in colorectal cancer and cardiovascular risk.

A long-term cohort study following ~26,000 people over 13.5 years found that high red meat intake increased cancer risk only among those with low fruit and vegetable intake.

Health-conscious meat eaters challenge the narrative

Some consumers choose grass-fed, pasture-raised meats and pair them with plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole foods, while limiting sugar and processed foods, yet observational studies rarely focus on these groups.

In one cohort of ~11,000 relatively health-conscious participants (57% omnivores, 43% vegetarians), both meat eaters and vegetarians had roughly 50% lower mortality than average Western-diet populations. No significant differences in heart disease, cancer, or overall death rates emerged between the two groups. This highlights the importance of context: meat quality and overall diet matter.

Ultra-processed Meats Are A Bigger Issues

While fresh, unprocessed meat can fit into a healthy diet, processed meats remain risky. Smoking, curing, and adding nitrates or nitrites create harmful compounds. High-temperature cooking like frying, grilling, or charring produces heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which lab studies show can damage DNA.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are emerging as major contributors to cancer and chronic disease. Research found higher UPF consumption was associated with increased risk of cancer and mortality. Another study reported that every 10% increase in UPF intake corresponded to a ~12% higher overall cancer risk. Given that UPFs often make up 50–60% of adult diets (even more in children) their impact is substantial. In many cases, they present a far greater risk than moderate amounts of unprocessed red meat.

Current Health and Lifestyle Is Also to Blame

Cancer and chronic disease are influenced by lifestyle. Physical activity, body weight, insulin sensitivity, metabolic health, and environmental exposures all play a role. Studies linking red meat to cancer are observational and confounded by factors like obesity and insulin resistance, which are more strongly associated with cancer than red meat itself.
Cohort studies often reflect “less healthy lifestyle vs more healthy lifestyle,” rather than meat consumption alone. When accounting for lifestyle and diet quality, mortality differences between meat eaters and vegetarians often shrink.

Putting it all Together

In summary, the evidence suggests

Moderate, unprocessed red meat is not inherently carcinogenic when consumed with a nutrient dense, low-processed-food diet.
Processed meats and high-heat cooking are the main dietary concerns regarding meat.
Fibre, plant foods, and overall dietary patterns significantly modify risk.
Ultra-processed foods are a major driver of chronic disease and cancer.
Lifestyle factors such as exercise, weight management, and metabolic health are critical players.

If you’re thinking about optimising your diet, focus on nutrient-dense foods first. Organ meat supplements make it easy to hit your goals. Learn more about them here

References

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Hyman, M. (2016, January 22). Is Meat Good or Bad for You? Mark Hyman, MD. https://drhyman.com/blogs/content/is-meat-good-or-bad-for-you

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