WASHINGTON — Eating red meat increases the chances of dying prematurely, according to a large federal study that offers powerful evidence that a diet that regularly includes steaks, burgers and pork chops is hazardous to your health.
The study of more than 500,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans found that those who consumed the equivalent of about a small hamburger every day — a quarter-pound of red meat — were more than 30 percent more likely to die during the 10 years they were followed, mostly from heart disease and cancer.
Sausage, cold cuts and other processed meats also increased the risk.
Previous research had found a link between red meat and an increased risk of heart disease and cancer, but the new study is the first large examination of the relationship between eating meat and overall mortality.
“The bottom line is we found an association between red meat and processed meat and an increased risk of mortality,” said Rashmi Sinha of the National Cancer Institute, who led the study published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
In contrast, routine consumption of fish, chicken, turkey and other poultry decreased the risk of death by a small amount, the study reported.
There are many explanations for how red meat might be unhealthy: Cooking red meat generates cancer-causing compounds; red meat is high in saturated fat, which has been associated with breast and colorectal cancer; and meat is high in iron, which is thought to promote cancer.
People who eat red meat are more likely to have high blood pressure and cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease. Processed meats contain substances known as nitrosamines, which have been linked to cancer.
