Study: Red Meat Raises Death Rates

Eating red meat increases the risk of early death, a new study concludes. It was based on medical records and surveys of about 120,000 men and women. They were part of two long-running studies. Everyone regularly answered questions about foods they ate. Researchers kept track of their health for about 28 years. In that time, almost 24,000 died. People who ate about one serving of red meat daily had a 13% increased risk of death. People who ate more meat also had less healthy lifestyles. However, researchers adjusted their numbers to account for these differences. Adjusted death rates from heart and artery disease alone were 18% higher for someone who ate a daily serving of unprocessed red meat. The increase was 21% if the meats were processed, such as bacon and hot dogs. Cancer deaths increased 10% for unprocessed and 16% for processed red meats.