The Impact of Reducing Processed Meat Consumption on Health
A recent study suggests that cutting consumption of processed meat by around one-third could have a significant impact on the health of the US population. Researchers estimate that reducing processed meat intake by 30 per cent, equivalent to about 10 slices of bacon a week, could prevent over 350,000 cases of diabetes, tens of thousands of cases of cardiovascular disease, and colorectal cancer over a 10-year period.
The Study
The study was conducted by a team from the University of Edinburgh’s Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems in collaboration with the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. They developed a simulation tool to assess the health impacts of reducing consumption of processed meat and unprocessed red meat.
The researchers used data from a national health survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to create a simulated sample of the US adult population. This microsimulation is the first to estimate the effects of reducing processed and unprocessed red meat consumption on multiple health outcomes in the US.
Results
Reducing processed meat intake by 30 per cent could lead to 92,500 fewer cases of cardiovascular disease and 53,300 fewer cases of colorectal cancer over a decade, in addition to the 350,000 cases of diabetes prevented. White males and individuals with an annual household income between $25,000 and $55,000 were found to experience the greatest health benefits.
Further analysis showed that reducing consumption of both processed and unprocessed red meat by 30 per cent could result in over 1 million fewer cases of diabetes, 382,400 fewer cases of cardiovascular disease, and 84,400 fewer cases of colorectal cancer. Cutting unprocessed red meat intake alone also had substantial health benefits, preventing more than 732,000 cases of diabetes, 291,500 cases of cardiovascular disease, and 32,200 cases of colorectal cancer.
Conclusion
The study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal, highlights the potential health benefits of reducing meat consumption, in addition to its environmental benefits in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Professor Lindsay Jaacks, one of the authors of the study, emphasizes that these dietary changes could have significant positive impacts on both people and the planet.
While the findings suggest that reducing processed and unprocessed red meat consumption could lower the risk of chronic diseases, more research is needed to understand the full extent of these benefits. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the potential health advantages of making simple dietary changes.
