Research findings on eating red meat and heart attack risk have been mixed – some showing increased risk, others finding higher risk only with processed meats. A study in the August 2010 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association comes down on the side of cutting back on red or processed meats as this significantly lowers the risk of heart disease in women. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.
It’s not that we haven’t been told to cut our intake of meat and dairy, but it’s hard for many of us to give up butter, steak, ham and cheese. It seems Americans are worried about protein intake, even though the Centers for Disease Control says that most of us have ample (maybe even a surplus) of protein in the diet.
This latest observational research examined data on 84,136 women who were between the ages of 30 and 55 years old. The researchers looked at the medical histories and lifestyle choices of the subjects, including diet, with a standardized, validated questionnaire delivered at 4 year intervals during the research.
What sets this work apart from others is that the follow up period was so long, 26 years, ending in 2006, and that more precise dietary measurements were recorded. During that time, 2,210 non-fatal heart attacks and 952 deaths from heart disease happened among the participants.
Here’s what the researchers found…
- Eating two servings a day of red meat brought a 30% greater risk of developing heart disease compared to those who ate half a serving daily.
- Eating one serving of nuts per day made subjects 30% less likely to develop coronary artery disease.
- Eating fish on a daily basis brought a 24% lower risk of heart disease.
- Eating one serving of poultry per day brought a 19% lower risk of heart disease.
- Eating low fat dairy products each day brought a 13% lower risk of coronary heart disease.
Eating more poultry, fish, low-fat dairy and nuts does appear to reduce your risk of heart disease, at least according to this study. While the work involved women only, experts believe the findings most likely apply to men as well.
According to study lead Adam M. Bernstein, MD, ScD, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, the study shows that making substitutes for red meat has important health benefits. Poultry, fish and nuts are healthy substitutes because those foods are all associated with important decreases in the development of coronary heart disease.
Continues below…
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Eat Less Red Meat, Cut Heart Disease Risk… Continued…
Making changes to our diet are some of the most difficult we can attempt… experts recommend thinking outside expected menu choices.
Forget the hot dogs, burgers, bologna or pastrami, and go for other protein rich foods instead. Try peanut butter and banana sandwiches, whole grain pasta primavera, veggie chili, low fat cheese and apple slices, or veggie burgers on whole wheat buns.
Eating healthy is surprisingly tasty, and you’ll find that the benefits to your body are outstanding as well.
If you’re worried about your heart attack risk, diet is only one way you can keep your body, and heart, healthy. Even more than what you eat and drink, you need to be taking other steps to reduce your risk of heart disease… quit smoking, manage your cholesterol numbers, control your high blood pressure, keep your weight healthy and stay active on a regular basis so that you give yourself the best chance of staying healthy in the years to come.
