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Cutting down processed meat in your diet reduces major health risks, shows study
We are what we eat. What we feed our body directly impacts our mental and physical health. There’s enough known about the negative effects of processed food and a new study shows reduced consumption can prevent major illnesses.
Unlike a vegetarian diet, meat could cause more health issues if it isn’t consumed in the right form. For instance, three common foods people eat daily can cause brain parasites when undercooked.
Cutting down on one food is great for your health
While eating nutritious food improves your health significantly, reducing the consumption of processed meat can prevent critical illnesses.
The University of Edinburgh’s Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems and the University of North Carolina have created a tool to “estimate the health impacts of reducing consumption of processed meat and unprocessed red meat,” Science Daily states.
The study estimates the impact of meat consumption on health by understanding the risks of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and death among Americans.
The researchers used microsimulation – a simulated, representative sample of the US adult population – to study the effects of including 5 to 100 percent of processed meat and unprocessed red meat in the diet.
The results showed that cutting down on processed meat can prevent diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and more.
Tweaking your diet is important
According to the study, reducing processed meat in your diet by 30 percent would lead to fewer cases of heart disease and colorectal cancer.
30 percent of processed meat is equivalent to 10 slices of bacon one less quarter-pound beef burger or a week.
However, more research is needed on the above finding, so the team says “these estimates should be interpreted with caution.” A different study has established similar effects of two ultra-processed foods on overall health – processed meat is one of them.
If you aren’t sure of what to eat daily to stay healthy and alert, a nutritionist told The Focus that the “absolute ideal breakfast” to kick-start your day only requires four ingredients.
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