Meatless Monday: Weighing Red Meat Risks

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless

For All Three Meals

Red meat is nutrient-rich but should be eaten in moderation as part of a plant-filled diet, and cooked in ways that minimize health risks.

Many people view red meat as a guilty pleasure, and expert groups, including the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, advise us to cut back. Some research suggests eating a lot of red meat may increase risk of premature death, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers, especially colorectal cancer. At the same time, red meat, such as beef, pork, and lamb, is nutrient-rich, offering protein, iron, zinc, and vitamins B6 and B12. 

Measuring red meat risks. Each daily serving of processed meat, such as bacon, hot dogs, or salami, is associated with a 15 percent higher risk of death from heart disease and an eight-percent increased risk of cancer-related death, according to a July 2015 Public Health Nutrition analysis of nine observational studies. Eating unprocessed red meat was associated with similar risks as processed meat among U.S. consumers, but not in Asians, who eat less red meat, nor in Europeans, who likely don’t grill as often as Americans.

“These findings are not trivial, especially in America, where many people eat two or three servings of red meat every day,” says Frank Hu, MD, PhD, MPH, an epidemiologist at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and one of the study’s authors.

However, as Hu and other experts have noted, such observational studies can’t prove cause and effect. “People who eat the most red and processed meats also tend to weigh more, smoke more cigarettes, exercise the least, and eat fewer fruits and vegetables,” says David Klurfeld, PhD, national program leader for human nutrition at the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Maryland. That makes it tough to tease out the real effects of red meat consumption.

Observational studies of red meat intake also overlook potential benefits of grass-fed red meat since the majority of red meat eaten is from feedlot-raised, grain-fed animals. Grass-fed meat has several advantages.

Handle with care. Health risks of red meat also depend on how it’s processed and cooked. “Cooking meat at high temperatures, such as pan frying, deep-fat frying, oven broiling, and grilling, leads to formation of carcinogens called heterocyclic amines (HCAs),” says Mariana Stern, PhD, a cancer epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. HCAs are less likely to form in lower-temperature cooking, such as baking, steaming, and boiling.

Grilling meat also generates carcinogens called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), especially in charred portions. “PAHs result when fat in meat drips onto an open fire, causing flames,” Stern explains.

“If meat is very fatty, more carcinogens will be formed than if meat is leaner.” So, choose leaner cuts, which are often signaled by the words “loin” or “round.”

N-nitroso compounds are another type of meat carcinogen.

“In some cases, such as processed meats, these carcinogenic compounds are present when you buy the meat,” Stern says. That’s true whether you buy nitrate-cured meat or “natural” meat cured with celery extract, which is also rich in nitrates involved in formation of N-nitroso compounds. “There’s also some evidence that N-nitroso compounds might form in the body from the action of bacteria in our mouth and gut if we eat a lot of unprocessed meats. However, if your diet is high in antioxidants, in particular vitamin C, such as from eating fruits and vegetables, that may help prevent N-nitroso compounds from forming in the body.”

Balance, variety and moderation. “People can eat meat as part of an overall healthy dietary pattern, but they need to move meat from the center of the plate to the side of the plate so meat isn’t the primary source of calories,” Hu concludes. You also should minimize processed red meat, such as bacon and sausage, which seems to carry higher health risks. Lastly, eat plenty of produce to help offset negative effects of red meat. “Some research suggests that if moderate meat eaters (averaging about 3 ounces daily) consume enough fruits and vegetables, their death rates may be similar to vegetarians,” Klurfeld says. ~Marsha McCulloch, MS, RD~

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

Minestrone Soup

(Adapted from Food 52)

This soup sounds wonderful and comforting for a cold winter day!

Ingredients:

Olive or vegetable oil for sauteing

1 medium onion, chopped

2-4 cloves garlic,minced or crushed

¾ cup dry cannellini beans

¼ cup dry garbanzo beans

6 cups water

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons fresh thyme

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons fresh oregano

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 cups chopped tomatoes (or 1 can, with juice)

1 cup cut green beans, fresh or frozen

1 cup zucchini, sliced and quartered

2" piece Parmesan cheese rind

1 small napa cabbage (about 10 oz)

1/3 cup soup pasta (e.g.ditalini, orzo, tiny shells)

½ cup red wine

Shredded Parmesan for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat a heavy 4 quart (or larger) pot over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to coat bottom of pot. Add onions and garlic; reduce heat to medium. Saute until onions are translucent.
2. Add beans, water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer 1 1/2 hours, or until beans are just barely tender.
3. Add herbs and seasonings, tomatoes, green beans, zucchini and cheese rind. Return to boil briefly, then reduce heat to low and simmer an additional 30 minutes.
4. In the meantime, thinly slice and chop cabbage. Add to soup along with the pasta and simmer 30 minutes.
5. At this point the soup can be refrigerated (or left on the stove with the heat off for up to 2 hours). Reheat before serving. When ready to serve, add wine and taste for seasoning. Serve topped with grated cheese if desired, or pass cheese at the table.
6. Note: Vegetables can be changed, added to or deleted. Amounts are only suggestions. Dried herbs can be used in place of fresh - cut amounts by 1/2.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Healthy Weekly Motivator

Keep A Fitness Journal

Writing down the exercise you get every day is a great tool, just as a food journal is valuable for dieters!

Remember Green Goes with Everything

Liquid Soap

Liquid soap is a story about more than just soap. It's about being responsible. It's about staying healthy and avoiding disease. Melaleuca isn't just the right soap: it's the right decision. Give a baby love, not germs. The baby wants to be held, but you don't want to pass on to her whatever germs may be on your hands. How can you best protect that precious little one.Contact LQ Wellness and find out how!

Have a great week and remember a better tomorrow starts with what you eat today!

Do you have a favorite meatless recipe you would like to share with us? Send it my way!

Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,

Lisa

LQ WELLNESS

Professional Wellness Coach

973-383-0955

lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com

Interested in Optimal Wellness? Take a look at products available here!

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @lq_wellness

Like me on Facebook

Follow me on Pinterest

“Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will create the fact.”

~William James~