Science Proves Red Meat Isn't Bad For You

The Myth That Red Meat Is Bad For You

Ever heard that red meat is bad for you? While we never believed it, many did but now science shows that well, we were sort of right.

According to five new meta-analyses, nobody really knows whether meat is good or bad for you. In a nutshell, when reviewing previous studies the overall conclusion is that the science behind the claims that red meat isn't good for you is not solid.

Correlation Does Not Equal Causation

Past studies had linked consumption of red meat to developing cancers or heart disease. But how you link meat consumption to any disease is the challenge.

Think about it. Every single person is different. When you conduct a study, you cannot separate the things that could cause cancer or heart disease. 

Are the red-meat eaters of your study overweight?

Do they eat fast food?

Are the older or younger?

What is their carb consumption like?

Do they eat their veggies?

More importantly... who are you bench-marking against?

Is it an apples to apples comparison?

It isn't.

And that is all these new meta-studies looked into. They concluded that basically nobody seems to know whether red meat is good or bad for you because correlation does not equal causation.

This Is Not The First Time This Myth Has Been Debunked

According to the New York Times, research suggests there aren’t actually very many health benefits associated with cutting out red and processed meats.

Again, there may be benefits, but there may not be any. Nobody really knows!!

The thing is, nutritional studies are all over the place. The studies themselves are often flawed and go backwards and forwards. They are often funded by companies with a vested interest in supporting a particular hypothesis or bias. Many of these studies must be taken with a grain of salt. Yes, even those who say you should drink red wine or eat chocolate in a daily basis!

A lot of people talk about evolution and where we are as a species. The fact is, we have evolved as omnivores, not carnivores or vegans. Eating too much of one or the other isn’t good for us. You need balance.