There have been a great deal of questions raised about the impact of red meat on health. Consumption of processed red meat has been linked to higher risk of heart failure and death in men reported the American Heart Association. There may be an increased risk of heart failure and death from heart failure in men who regularly eat moderate amounts of processed red meat such as cold cuts, sausage, and hot dogs.
Smoking, curing, salting or adding preservatives are used to preserve processed meats. Alicja Wolk, D.M.Sc., senior author of the study, says processed red meat commonly contains sodium, phosphates, nitrates, and other food additives which may negatively effect your health. Grilled meats also contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which may cause health problems. All of these chemicals may contribute to the increased risk of heart failure.
Wolk points out that unprocessed meat is free from food additives and generally has a lower amount of sodium. In this study men who ate the most processed red meat of 75 grams per day or more had a 28 percent greater risk of heart failure in comparison to men who ate the least at 25 grams per day or less. Overall, men who consumed the most processed red meat had greater than 2-fold increased risk of death from heart failure in comparison to men in the lowest category.
It has been indicated by this study that in men with low to moderate red meat consumption it is processed red meat consumption, but not unprocessed red meat, which is associated with an increased risk of heart failure reports the journal Circulation: Heart Failure. Joanna Kaluza, Ph.D., study lead author, says to lower your risk of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases it is suggested you should avoid processed red meat in your diet and limit the amount of unprocessed red meat to one to two servings per week or even less. Your diet should instead be rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grain products, nuts and fish.
