Red meat consumption increases the risk of heart disease
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
7 sources for · 0 against
Multiple peer-reviewed systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and medical reference sources report that higher consumption of red meat is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and ischemic heart disease.
This article has been corrected. The original version (PDF) is appended to this article as a Supplement.<h4>Background</h4>Dietary guidelines generally recommend limiting intake of red and processed meat. However, the quality of evidence implicating red and processed meat in adverse health outcomes remains unclear.<h4>Purpose</h4>To evaluate the association between red and processed meat consumption and all-cause mortality, cardiometabolic outcomes, quality of life, and satisfaction with diet among adults.<h4>Data sources</h4>EMBASE (Elsevier), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Wiley), Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics), CINAHL (EBSCO), and ProQuest from inception until July 2018 and MEDLINE from inception until April 2019, without language restrictions, as well as bibliographies of relevant articles.<h4>Study selection</h4>Cohort studies with at least 1000 participants that reported an association between unprocessed red or processed meat intake and outcomes of interest.<h4>Data extraction</h4>Teams of 2 reviewers independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias. One investigator assessed certainty of evidence, and the senior investigator confirmed the assessments.<h4>Data synthesis</h4>Of 61 articles reporting on 55 cohorts with more than 4 million participants, none addressed quality of life or satisfaction with diet. Low-certainty evidence was found that a reduction in unprocessed red meat intake of 3 servings per week is associated with a very small reduction in risk for cardiovascular mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and type 2 diabetes. Likewise, low-certainty evidence was found that a reduction in processed meat intake of 3 servings per week is associated with a very small decrease in risk for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, stroke, MI, and type 2 diabetes.<h4>Limitation</h4>Inadequate adjustment for known confounders, residual confounding due to observational design, and recall bias associated with dietary measurement.<h4>Conclusion</h4>The magnitude of association between red and processed meat consumption and all-cause mortality and adverse cardiometabolic outcomes is very small, and the evidence is of low certainty.<h4>Primary funding source</h4>None. (PROSPERO: CRD42017074074).
BACKGROUND
Red meat consumption was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in prospective cohort studies and a profile of biomarkers favoring high cardiovascular risk in short-term controlled trials. However, several recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses concluded with no or weak evidence for limiting red meat intake.
OBJECTIVE
To prospectively examine the associations between red meat intake and incident CVD in an ongoing cohort study with diverse socioeconomic and racial/ethnic backgrounds.
METHOD
Our study included 148,506 participants (17,804 female (12.0%)) who were free of cancer, diabetes, and CVD at baseline from the Million Veteran Program. Red meat intakes were measured by a food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Non-fatal myocardial infarction and acute ischemic stroke were identified through a high-throughput phenotyping algorithm, and fatal CVD events were identified by searching the National Death Index.
RESULTS
Comparing the extreme categories of intake, the multivariate-adjusted relative risks of CVD was 1.18 (95% CI: 1.01-1.38; Ptrend < 0.0001) for total red meat, 1.14 (95% CI: 0.96-1.36; Ptrend=0.01) for unprocessed red meat and 1.29 (95% CI: 1.04-1.60; Ptrend =0.003) for processed red meat. We observed a more pronounced positive association between red meat intake and CVD in African-American participants than in white participants (Pinteraction =0.01). Replacing 0.5 servings/day of red meat with 0.5 servings/day of nuts, whole grains, and skimmed milk was associated with 14% (RR=0.86; 95% CI, 0.83-0.90), 7% (RR=0.93; 95% CI, 0.89-0.96), and 4% (RR=0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.99) lower risks of CVD, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
Red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of CVD. Our findings support lowering red meat intake and replacing red meat with plant sources of protein or low-fat dairy foods as a key dietary recommendation for the prevention of CVD.
Red meat is the muscle meat of mammals like beef, lamb, and pork that is red due to the abundance of myoglobin pigment and becomes even darker when cooked. The global average per capita consumption of meat and the total amount of meat consumed is rising, and there has been a particularly marked increase in the global consumption of chicken and pork. The consumption of red meat has always been a contentious issue, with data suggesting benefits in terms of nutritional value and at the same time linking its consumption to major health disorders such as endocrine abnormalities, gastrointestinal issues, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Despite being normalized by major food franchises, red meat consumption may lead to adverse cardiovascular outcomes such as atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and cardiac failure. Given the evidence that indicates the consumption of red and processed meat as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality, it is important to review the effects of red meat on the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Meat consumption and fatal ischemic heart disease.
In 1960 the meat-consumption habits of 25,153 California Seventh-Day Adventists were assessed by questionnaire. Between 1960 and 1980 ischemic heart disease deaths were identified. Meat consumption was positively associated with fatal ischemic heart disease in both men and women. This association was apparently not due to confounding by eggs, dairy products, obesity, marital status, or cigarette smoking. The positive association between meat consumption and fatal ischemic heart disease was stronger in men than in women and, overall, strongest in young men. For 45- to 64-year-old men, there was approximately a threefold difference in risk between men who ate meat daily and those who did not eat meat. This is the first study to clearly show a dose-response relationship between meat consumption and ischemic heart disease risk.
Published in Preventive medicine (1984)
Is Red Meat Bad for Your Heart? What We Know Search Advertisement Advertisement January 26, 2026 / Health Conditions / Heart Health Red Meat and Your Heart: What You Need To Know High amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat in red meat may be linked to heart disease Image content: This image is available to view online. View image online ( https://assets.clevelandclinic.org/transform/4cff0c0b-b553-44d7-b604-ec8f7fce6d14/beef-hamburger-2166728719 ) A big ol' beef patty hamburger on a bun, with lettuce, cheese, tomato and sauce Is red meat bad for your heart? For decades, scientific studies have shown a connection between eating red meat — like beef, pork, veal and lamb — and getting heart disease. That’s why the American Heart Association encourages limiting the amount of red meat you eat. Advertisement Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy Cardiologist Dennis Bruemmer, MD, PhD , explains the connection between red meat and heart disease. How does red meat affect heart health? Like a lot of animal products, red meat can be high in salt, fat and cholesterol . And while it may be a staple of American cuisine, it’s one that’s probably best experienced in moderation. “There have been innumerable studies that show a connection between eating red meat, getting heart disease and dying from heart disease,” says Dr. Bruemmer. “It’s remarkably consistent.” Exactly how red meat contributes to heart disease is debated. There are likely multiple reasons, including: Saturated fat: The amount of saturated fat found in fatty cuts of meat can increase your LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol levels. High LDL can impact heart disease risk. TMAO production: Data also point to choline and carnitine, nutrients in red meat that generate TMAO (trimethylamine-N-oxide). High levels of TMAO in your blood increase your risk of hardened arteries, heart attack
Dr. Berrino tells us that WHO’s recommendation is that only 8% of the calories we eat are protein, and in our society we eat twice the calories needed. It also explains why we must reduce the consumption of red meat: it is very rich in iron, a type of iron that is very oxidising and that favours the formation of carcinogenic substances in the intestine.
promotes arteriosclerosis and increases the risk of heart disease such as myocardial infarction … Regular Meat Consumption Heart The more meat one eats, the greater the risk of heart dis- ease … sumption of heme iron-rich red meat, the higher the risk of heart attack. This heme iron effect
Everything we examined (7)
This check searched the claim as stated. It did not run a separate search for evidence against it.