January 11, 2017.
According to a study conducted by a team of researchers from Boston University (United States), excessive consumption of red meat increases the risk of developing diverticulitis, a form of inflammation of the intestine.
A risk of developing diverticulitis
Excessive consumption of red meat can be dangerous for your health. This is what reveals a study published in the journal Gut. According to this work, there is a link between very regular consumption of red meat and a risk of developing diverticulitis, bowel disease.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers analyzed the medical follow-up of 46,000 men, as well as their eating habits. In 26 years, 764 participants developed diverticulitis. Comparing the group of the 20% of participants who ate the most red meat with that of the 20% who ate the least, the researchers found that red meat lovers had a 58% increased risk of having diverticulitis.
Disruption of the intestinal flora
” Substitute unprocessed red meat with fish or poultry can be a solution to limit the risk of diverticulitis “, Note the authors of the study, quoted by The Independent. According to them, the risk is indeed greater when we eat in excess of unprocessed red meat (beef, lamb, pork), than when we consume processed red meat (bacon, sausages).
But how to explain this phenomenon? According to the researchers, eating red meat in excess could disrupt the intestinal flora and generate an inflammatory ground. Diverticulitis is not serious in itself, but some can degenerate into peritonitis. In these cases, support by the emergency services is essential. In young adults, diverticulitis is the cause of 210,000 hospitalizations each year in the United States.
Read also: Reducing your meat consumption: why?
