Agricultural News
Researchers Claim No Benefit to Reduce Intake of Beef and Red Meat in Your Diet
Wed, 02 Oct 2019 05:38:22 CDT
A series of papers were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine that conclude Americans do not need to reduce their intake of red and processed meats as it provides little to no benefit for health. These scientific reviews were conducted by researchers from Dalhousie University and McMaster University in Canada, together with Spanish and Polish Cochrane Centers. However, several media reports are calling these papers are controversial for the conclusions that have been drawn.
The website WEBMD.Com report that these studies say "it's OK to eat them because researchers couldn't find any links to health problems like heart disease and cancer.
"Not surprisingly, the studies have created an uproar among leading health and nutrition researchers who have long said eating too much of them is bad for your health. Several groups, one of which includes an author of one of the papers, sent letters to the journal's editor requesting that publication be postponed for further investigation.
"It's the most egregious abuse of data I've ever seen," says Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who was among the signers of the letter. "There are just layers and layers of problems."
Shalene McNeill, PhD RD, Executive Director of Nutrition Science, Health and Wellness at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff offered the following statement in light of the studies published by the Annals of Internal Medicine.
"Beef is a high-quality protein powerhouse providing a unique combination of nutrients essential to building and maintaining strength throughout all life stages. A 3-ounce cooked serving of beef provides 10 essential nutrients in about 170 calories, including high-quality protein, zinc, bioavailable iron and B vitamins. No other protein source offers the same nutrient mix.
"Most Americans eat less than 2 ounces of beef daily which is?within the amount recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American Institute for Cancer Research, and also consistent with other worldwide recommendations, like those from the World Cancer Research Fund.
"We support scientific discovery and a greater understanding of beef's role in health to help consumers make informed choices about what they eat. A new series of systematic reviews published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine finds the evidence supporting the health benefits of reducing red and processed meat to be low to very low certainty.
"It is important for people who include beef as a source of nourishment and satisfaction in a healthy diet to know that the overall body of science continues to reinforce that a healthy, sustainable diet is one that is balanced, enjoyable and can include beef."
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