Is meat safe for us to eat?
Sometimes it can be hard to know what to eat.
One minute we’re being told something is good for us, the next minute we’re being told it isn’t.
Most recently, big question marks have popped up over red meat and how much we should be eating, after new research found a link between it and bowel cancer.
So what should we be doing about red meat and how much we are consuming? Spree decided to find out.
Two weeks ago, a British Nutrition Foundation study claimed that the majority of adults ate ‘healthy amounts’ of red meat and there was an ‘inconclusive’ link to cancer.
But the latest research is expected to warn that although red meat is a valuable source of iron – an essential component of our diets – eating too much can lead to heart disease and cancer.
What are the supposed risks?
Research has shown that red meat significantly increases the risk of bowel cancer.
It is the second most common form of cancer and affects 36,500 Britons every year.
It has also been linked to heart disease because of its high saturated fat content, type 2 diabetes and other forms of cancer including breast, lung and prostate.
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) estimates that 3,800 cases of bowel cancer could be prevented ever year if everyone ate less than 70g of processed meat a week.
What are the current guidelines for red meat?
Current guidelines recommend that Britons should eat 90g a day and need to consider cutting back only if they exceed 140g a day.
But figures show that a third of adults eat more than 100g a day and the researchers fear they are putting themselves at unnecessary risk.
Processed meat can also push up the dangers and research last year showed that just two slices of bacon a day or one sausage can increase the risk of heart disease by half.
Processed meat is generally defined as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or with chemical preservatives added to it.
What are the new guidelines expected to be?
Experts from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition are expected to tell consumers to eat no more than 500g of red or processed meat every week, or 70g a day.
This is the equivalent of three rashers of bacon a day. An average slice of ham is about 23g, a large sausage is 40g and a medium steak is about 145g.
So would it be better to stop eating red meat altogether?
No, the guidelines will also warn that while some people consume too much red meat, those who eat very little may be at risk of iron deficiency such as anaemia.
Symptoms of anaemia include tiredness and palpitations, shortness of breath and dizziness, so it’s important to eat a well balanced diet - which includes red meat – to help avoid this health problem.
So what red meat should I be eating?
Choose cuts from the leg or loin of an animal. If you’re having a steak, choose a rump or sirloin cut. Least healthy is the rib eye: an 8oz steak has around 500 calories and 15g saturates – three-quarters of the recommended daily maximum. Offal – including liver, kidneys, tongue and tripe – is a good choice, as it is rich in protein and contains B vitamins, good for energy release and the nervous system.
Avoid shoulder, ribs, belly, and neck and breast (of lamb), as these are higher fat, as are minced meats and sausages, even when grilled.
The most sinful of all meat products is the doner kebab — an average portion supplies nearly all of an adult’s recommended daily salt content and 50 per cent more saturated fat than an adult should eat in a day.
Grill, roast or stir-fry your meat for the healthiest result. A grilled 8oz rump or sirloin steak supplies fewer than 300 calories and only 4g of saturated fat. Roast venison, grilled pork loin chops or a roast leg of lamb are good options, too.
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Comments
There are 2 comments to this article
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fig
Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 12:51 PMJonathan, what a ludicrous statement; you may as well say that giving up going travelling in motorised vehicles altogether is the only way to avoid the health risks associated with transport.
Jonathan Hornett
Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 10:49 AMGiving up meat altogether is the only way to avoid the health risks associated with eating animals. Bowel cancer is just the latest threat, with high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes also commonly linked. Add these to the virus and BSE dangers, meat is a hazard to health. Various surveys show that vegetarians live longer and are fitter than non-vegetarians. Choosing a different bit of the animal is not going to change that. Look up 'Northants Veggies' if you are interested in a meat free diet locally.
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