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Steaks don’t appear to increase risk of heart disease

BBQ barbeque steak red meat ... Harvard University ... analysis showed eating red meat was not associated with a higher risk of heart disease or diabetes. The researchers did find the “processed meat” consumption increased the risk of coronary artery disease by 46 percent and diabetes by 19 percent, so I guess it’d be good to stay away from baloney sandwiches.

It's barbeque season and for me that means putting lots of meat on the grill. While I tend to go more for the chicken and turkey (sausages and burgers) with some pork in the mix, every once in a while I like a good burger or a nice steak. So I read an analysis by Harvard University researchers of 20 studies on the impact of red meat consumption on health with some trepidation.

I was relieved to find that the analysis showed eating red meat was not associated with a higher risk of heart disease or diabetes. The researchers did find the "processed meat" consumption increased the risk of coronary artery disease by 46 percent and diabetes by 19 percent, so I guess it'd be good to stay away from baloney sandwiches.

The 20 studies included data on a total of 1,218,380 people. The participants include 23,889 people with heart disease and 10,797 with diabetes. The study was published in the American Heart Association's medical journal, Circulation.

The researchers concluded that the results of their analysis shows "the need for better understanding of potential mechanisms of effects and for particular focus on processed meats for dietary and policy recommendations."