Should we eat red meat?

So, is it safe to tuck into a bacon sarnie, lamb kebab or sirloin steak?

Prima nutritionist Angela Dowden investigates:

Red meat has been in and out of fashion more often than the miniskirt. In recent years, we’ve been told to avoid it because of the BSE scare, then with the Atkins diet, it was all the rage, and now scientists are claiming that eating too much is linked with colon cancer. According to The Meat and Livestock Commission (which promotes British meat), red meat is a safe, nutritious component of a balanced diet. Statistics say 89 per cent of households eat beef, 79 per cent eat pork and 54 per cent eat lamb. But independent nutrition experts have long warned us not to eat too much red meat, and to especially stay away from fatty and processed types. So what’s the truth?

What counts as red meat?
Meats categorised as ‘red’ are beef, lamb, pork and veal (also game, but it’s eaten in much smaller quantities). The red colour comes from a protein called myoglobin, which holds oxygen in the animal’s muscle. Red meat is naturally higher in fat than white meat, but the real problem comes with processed red meats, such as sausages, burgers, bacon, faggots, pâté, corned beef and ham. These can be particularly high in  saturated fat and salt, which are known to raise the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Are you at risk?
If you have high cholesterol or a family history of heart disease, you’ve probably already cut down your intake of red meat. But new evidence from a Europe-wide study of the eating habits of 500,000 people over five years suggests a link between red meat and bowel cancer, too. The risk was a third higher for those who regularly ate more than 160g of red or processed meat per day, compared with less than one 80g portion per week. This sounds like quite a lot, until you realise that a sausage for breakfast, a ham sandwich for lunch and a small steak in the evening would add up to 205g. Fortunately, statistics show the average daily amount of red and processed meat eaten in the UK is actually only 95g.

Why can red meat cause cancer?
One theory as to why too much red meat can trigger cancer is that the myoglobin undergoes a process in the gut, which leads to the formation of cancer-causing compounds. It’s the most likely explanation as to why red meat is linked to cancer and white meat isn’t – because white meat contains less myoglobin. How you cook your meat can have a bearing, too. In countries like Japan, where meat is eaten raw or lightly cooked, bowel cancer rates are much lower. Blackening the surface through char-grilling means it’s likely to contain more carcinogenic (cancer-promoting) compounds. So, should you worry about eating red meat or not? If it’s in moderation, and you eat plenty of fruit and vegetables to balance the animal food part of your diet, then the answer is no. Also, changes to farming and butchery practices, mean red meat is now much leaner, and BSE is a thing of the past.

Benefits of red meat

- It’s one of the best, most easily absorbed sources of anaemia-protective iron. A portion of roast topside beef provides around a fifth of the recommended daily allowance.

- It’s a great source of protein, which helps curb appetite. And well-trimmed cuts of fresh meat aren’t fatty at all – trimmed lean beef has only 4.3 per cent fat, trimmed lean pork just four per cent fat, and lean lamb has eight per cent fat.

- It’s a good source of zinc. A portion of lean roast breast of lamb supplies 30 per cent of the RDA. Zinc is important for a healthy immune system.

- The myth that red meat takes weeks to digest is just that. If you’re healthy, your body breaks down and absorbs its nutrients within nine hours.

How to stay safe

- Stick to around 500g of red and processed red meat a week, with about 80 per cent lean meat. A typical, healthy weekly consumption might be something like two small portions of trimmed beef or lamb (a small steak or chop), one similar sized portion of pork, plus two servings of lean ham in a sandwich, and no more than one 100g portion of processed meat (for example, minced beef in a chilli, two sausages or a burger).

- Although it’s important to cook burgers and sausages all the way through to kill bacteria, the moral is not to burn them. Beef and lamb are healthier cooked medium, rather than well-done. Pork should be cooked all the way through, but not overdone.

- Marinate meats before grilling or barbecuing – it’s been shown to markedly reduce the formation of cancer-causing chemicals. Nobody is sure exactly why, but any combination of vinegar, citrus juice, herbs, spices or olive oil seems to work.

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