| Eating red meat is an American past time. From the | | | | red meat consumed. Whether it's highly processed hot |
| famous steak houses in the biggest cities to the | | | | dogs or pasture fed, free range beef, it's all lumped into |
| classic backyard BBQ, from the ubiquitous cheese | | | | the same category. It stands to reason that consuming |
| burger at any number of fast food restaurants to | | | | red meat that's been pumped full of steroids, |
| bacon rashers served at breakfast, from rump roast | | | | anti-biotics, growth hormones and the like will have a |
| on Sundays to pork chops to Bolognese sauce to | | | | more deleterious effect on your health than the |
| ham sandwiches-the list of traditional and celebrated | | | | healthiest of naturally grown and fed animals. |
| means and ways to consume red meat are many. It's | | | | However, this difference is not factored into the |
| associated with manliness, and is part of the country's | | | | studies, despite the obvious disparity in quality. |
| psyche in a way that it's not anywhere else in the | | | | Another factor that needs to be taken into account |
| world. But rising obesity rates, the increase in deaths | | | | and which is considered by the authors of these |
| from cardiovascular disease and cancer all prompt us | | | | studies is the effect that over-cooking has on the |
| to ask the question: is it safe to eat red meat? | | | | quality of the meat. Grilling, searing, or broiling red meat |
| A number of studies have been published within the | | | | may cause heat-altered chemicals to appear known |
| last decade linking the consumption of red meat to an | | | | as heterocyclic amines (or HCAs) which may be |
| increased chance of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, | | | | carcinogenic if consumed often over time. Thus how |
| stomach cancer, lymphoma, bladder cancer, and | | | | you cook your food becomes incredibly important-well |
| prostate cancer. It has also been linked with an | | | | done can be a bad idea. |
| increased chance of cardiovascular disease, arthritis, | | | | So what should one take from all this? Clearly |
| and hypertension. These studies range from | | | | consuming large amounts of beef is dangerous. |
| conclusions drawn from a new study that examined | | | | Consuming more than 5.5 oz of red meat/day puts |
| 500,000 Americans in 2009 to the Nurses' Health | | | | you in the most at-risk group, though even 10 oz/week |
| Study which began in 1976 and expanded in 1989 and | | | | can slightly increase your risk of developing these |
| has been tracking 238,000 dedicated | | | | diseases. What becomes clear is that moderation is |
| nurse-participants. | | | | vital, and that we should all seek to consume only the |
| Thus the conclusions should be obvious. But if you look | | | | highest quality red meat possible, while also being |
| closer at the data, you'll see room for some | | | | careful with the manner in which it is cooked. Quality |
| arguments to be made in defense. For one, these | | | | over quantity, and with an awareness that if you can |
| studies make no differentiation between the kinds of | | | | swap in white meat? It might be worth it in the long run. |