We know that scientific studies are sometimes contradictory. On subjects as delicate as the electronic cigarette, the CBD or even the education of children, we can go from one extreme to the other in the space of just a few days: it is often a question of different methodologies which result ( inevitably) to totally opposite results…
Precisely: researchers from Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME, in the United States) reviewed a large number of scientific studies covering 180 research areas. The objective: to determine to what extent a given risk factor can influence health.
Depending on the results of scientific studies (and their reliability…), the scientists who published their results in the journal Nature, gave “ratings” to these associations. For example: they gave 5 stars (the highest score, therefore a significant degree of reliability) to the association “smoking cigarettes / developing lung cancer”.
A weak association between the consumption of red meat and the development of certain diseases
Scientists then looked at the thorny question of red meat: is it as bad for your health as they say? Not sure. For example, the association “eating red meat / having a heart attack” only received one star: this means that we should not necessarily take our word for the statement that lovers of barbecued beef have an increased risk of cardiac arrest.
The associations “eating red meat/developing breast cancer”, “eating red meat/developing colon cancer” and “eating red meat/developing ischemic disease” are only slightly more reliable since they only got 2 stars from IHME researchers.
Red meat, which is an excellent source of iron and animal protein, also contributes to the accumulation of “bad” cholesterol in the blood. This is why the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) recommends not eating more than 500 g per week.
Sources:
- IHME
- Health effects associated with consumption of unprocessed red meat: a Burden of Proof study, NatureOctober 10, 2022.
