Meat Consumption = High Risk of Disease

Studies continue to demonstrate potential health risks associated with eating animal products, as shown below - written by the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine. (PCRM)

"Red and processed meat products increase women's disease risk, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers from Harvard analyzed the diets and blood of 3,690 participants from the Nurses' Health Study and found that as total red meat consumption increased, C-reactive protein (CRP, a biomarker of infections and diseases including heart disease and cancer), hemoglobin A1c (an indicator of diabetes risk), and stored iron (a mineral which in excess is associated with heart disease, cancer, and diabetes) also increased. Weight and calorie intake also increased with increased intake of red and processed meat products."

"Consumption of red and processed meat products is associated with increased risk of death, according to a new review published by the American Journal of Epidemiology. Researchers looked at nine studies with years of follow-up ranging from 5.5 to 28 years to calculate a 23 percent increase in mortality risk for those consuming the most processed meat and a 29 percent increased risk for those consuming the most total red meat, compared with those who consumed the least. Other studies have shown a similar link with red and processed meat products and mortality as well as links to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes."

The evidence is convincing; populations that consume the highest percentage of animal products have the highest morbidity and mortality rates. Poor diet and lifestyle choices fuel our current epidemic of poor health. Adopting a whole-food, Starch-Smart® diet along with aggressive lifestyle modifications are the key elements in halting this epidemic. The benefits of these lifestyle changes are proportional to the changes made. Imagine the profound health consequences for Americans if we would remove the injurious foods from our diets and replace them with life-giving foods!

(1) Red and Processed Meat Endangers Health

(2) Red and Processed Meat Products Linked to Mortality

(3) Red Meat and Processed Meat Consumption and All-Cause Mortality