A new study from researchers at Harvard suggests that eating red meat could significantly increase the risk of death from heart disease and cancer. Data for the study was collected from 120,000 subjects as part of the ongoing Health Professionals Follow-up Study and the Nurses' Health Study.
In the study men in their 50's and women in their 40's have been surveyed every four years about their eating habits along with other factors like daily exercise, smoking, weight and general health. Over twenty years those who were reportedly eating at least one three-ounce portion of unprocessed red meat every day were eighteen percent more likely to die from heart disease and ten percent more likely to die from cancer.
Processed meats like bacon, hot dogs and sausages suggested an even greater risk showing a 21 percent increase in heart disease death and 16 percent risk of cancer death for those who consume one serving daily.
"Substituting almost any other food for red meat reduces risk, sometimes substantially," Dr. Marion Nestle of New York University tells WbMD.com in response to the data. "This is a call for a more varied diet that substitutes other foods for red meats, especially nuts."
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