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A study suggests that reducing processed meat consumption by about one-third could prevent over 350,000 diabetes cases in the US over a decade. Decreasing US adults’ processed meat intake by 30%—equivalent to around 10 slices of bacon per week—would also result in tens of thousands of fewer cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer cases. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and the University of North Carolina developed a simulation tool to estimate the health impacts of reducing both processed and unprocessed red meat consumption.
Previous studies have linked high processed meat consumption to chronic diseases, but few have evaluated multiple health outcomes. While some research suggests unprocessed red meat may contribute to chronic disease risk, the evidence is limited. Using data from a CDC national health survey, the researchers created a simulated sample of the US adult population to estimate the effects of reducing meat consumption on diabetes, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, and death.
The simulation, the first to evaluate reducing both processed and unprocessed red meat consumption on multiple health outcomes in the US, estimated that a 30% reduction in processed meat intake could prevent 350,000 diabetes cases, 92,500 cardiovascular disease cases, and 53,300 colorectal cancer cases over ten years. White males and those with annual household incomes between $25,000 and $55,000 would experience the greatest health benefits.
The study also analyzed the impact of reducing unprocessed red meat alone and both processed and unprocessed red meat. Cutting both types of meat consumption by 30% could prevent over 1 million diabetes cases, 382,400 cardiovascular disease cases, and 84,400 colorectal cancer cases. Reducing unprocessed red meat intake alone by 30% could prevent over 732,000 diabetes cases, 291,500 cardiovascular disease cases, and 32,200 colorectal cancer cases. The greater impact of reducing unprocessed red meat is partly due to its higher average daily intake compared to processed meat.
Due to limited knowledge on unprocessed red meat’s effect on chronic disease risk, these estimates should be interpreted cautiously, and more research is needed. The study, funded by The Wellcome Trust and published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal, highlights significant health benefits from reducing meat consumption. Professor Lindsay Jaacks of the University of Edinburgh noted that reducing meat consumption has been recommended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and that this study shows it could also offer substantial health benefits, making it a “win-win for people and the planet.”