Reducing Processed Meat Intake Linked to Health Benefits: Study

Reducing consumption of processed meat by around one-third could prevent more than 350,000 cases of diabetes in over 10 years, a study published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health suggested.

Processed meats, which often contain high levels of salt, fat, and preservatives, have been linked to an increased risk of various health issues, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, particularly colorectal cancer. By cutting down on processed meats, individuals can lower their intake of harmful substances, leading to improved cardiovascular health, better blood sugar control, and a reduced risk of cancer.

A team from the University of Edinburgh and the University of North Carolina developed a simulation tool to estimate the health impacts of reducing processed and unprocessed red meat consumption. While many studies link high processed meat consumption with chronic diseases, fewer examine multiple health outcomes, and evidence on unprocessed red meat remains limited.

Using the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention health (CDC) survey data, researchers created a representative microsimulation of the adult population to estimate the effects of reducing meat consumption by 5% to 100% on diabetes, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, and mortality.

The results showed that cutting processed meat intake by 30% could prevent over 350,000 diabetes cases, 92,500 cardiovascular disease cases, and 53,300 colorectal cancer cases over a decade. Reducing both processed and unprocessed red meat by 30% could lead to 1,073,400 fewer diabetes cases, 3,82,400 fewer cardiovascular disease cases, and 84,400 fewer colorectal cancer cases. Lowering unprocessed red meat intake alone by 30% could prevent over 7,32,000 diabetes cases, 2,91,500 cardiovascular disease cases, and 32,200 colorectal cancer cases.

The findings suggested that the greater impact of reducing unprocessed red meat is due to a higher average intake compared to processed meat. However, the researchers advise caution in interpreting these estimates and call for further research.

Reference: Kennedy, J., et al. (2024) Estimated effects of reductions in processed meat consumption and unprocessed red meat consumption on occurrences of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, and mortality in the USA: a microsimulation study. The Lancet Planetary Health. doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00118-9.