Results of a large-scale study on the dietary habits of nearly half a million people in Europe revealed a moderate positive association between processed meat consumption and cardiovascular diseases and cancer, according to a new study published in the journal BMC Medicine.
Recently, some U.S. studies have shown a moderate association between red and processed meat consumption and mortality supporting the results of previous studies among vegetarians. Researchers at the University of Zurich sought to investigate the association of red meat, processed meat, and poultry consumption with risk of early death in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), a study that involved 10 countries and 23 centers in Europe and almost half a million people. In general, a diet high in processed meat was linked to other unhealthy choices. Men and women who ate the most processed meat ate the fewest fruit and vegetables and were more likely to smoke. Men who ate a lot of meat also tended to have a high alcohol consumption.
A person’s risk of premature death (increased risk of all cause mortality) increased with the amount of processed meat eaten. This is also true after correcting for confounding variables, although residual confounding cannot be excluded. However, a small amount of red meat appeared to be beneficial which the researchers suggest is because meat is an important source of nutrients and vitamins. The consumption of poultry was not related to all-cause mortality.
“Risks of dying earlier from cancer and cardiovascular disease also increased with the amount of processed meat eaten. Overall, we estimate that 3% of premature deaths each year could be prevented if people ate less than 20g processed meat per day," the researchers said.
Recently, some U.S. studies have shown a moderate association between red and processed meat consumption and mortality supporting the results of previous studies among vegetarians. Researchers at the University of Zurich sought to investigate the association of red meat, processed meat, and poultry consumption with risk of early death in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), a study that involved 10 countries and 23 centers in Europe and almost half a million people. In general, a diet high in processed meat was linked to other unhealthy choices. Men and women who ate the most processed meat ate the fewest fruit and vegetables and were more likely to smoke. Men who ate a lot of meat also tended to have a high alcohol consumption.
A person’s risk of premature death (increased risk of all cause mortality) increased with the amount of processed meat eaten. This is also true after correcting for confounding variables, although residual confounding cannot be excluded. However, a small amount of red meat appeared to be beneficial which the researchers suggest is because meat is an important source of nutrients and vitamins. The consumption of poultry was not related to all-cause mortality.
“Risks of dying earlier from cancer and cardiovascular disease also increased with the amount of processed meat eaten. Overall, we estimate that 3% of premature deaths each year could be prevented if people ate less than 20g processed meat per day," the researchers said.
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