Red Meat is Healthy!

As a NTP, I recommend that my clients eat a whole food, nutrient dense diet. This includes eating all types of animal proteins, including red meat. Yes, red meat is healthy!

Recently, there was a study done by the University of Washington that basically evaluated studies that had been done in the past that suggested red meat causes health problems.

The study shows that was "weak evidence" to support that eating UNPROCESSED red meat causes colorectal cancer, diabetes type 2, breast cancer or heart disease. They also found no evidence to support that eating unprocessed red meat causes ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke.

Note they only mention UNPROCESSED red meat. This is basically red meat in its most natural form. It is when it is processed with chemicals, preservatives and additives that it becomes toxic.

It is important the type of red meat that you consume. Of course, the best type of meat to consume is wild game or grass-fed and grass-finished meat.

Red meat is part of a whole food, nutrient dense diet that provides protein for our bodies, which is an essential building block for basically everything in our bodies from cells and nerves to tissues and organs. Healthy proteins like red meat also provide essential amino acids that we need in order to function properly.

In closing, remember to eat a variety of animal proteins, not just red meat. When we eat all the colors of vegetables, fruits, and eat a variety of protein, we will have a much broader range of nutrients to support our healthy bodies.

“Health Effects Associated with Consumption of Unprocessed Red Meat: A Burden of Proof Study.” Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 11 Oct. 2022, https://www.healthdata.org/research-article/health-effects-associated-consumption-unprocessed-red-meat-burden-proof-study.