I eat a lot of red meat, and I've been reading about the health risks and studies that show the potential risks of heart disease and colon cancer with the consumption of too much red meat.

I've decided to cut back a bit on red meat and increase chicken and fish intake even more. Up until now, I've consumed red meat 3-4 times a week. Wanted to post this up in case there were others that may be consuming a lot of read meat as well, and want to take a close look at and maybe rethink their diets.. but maybe not...

Couple interesting takeaways from some of the reading I've been doing:

• There are clear benefits to red meat as well and it contains high levels of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, nutrients like creatine, and of course protien.

• Grass fed beef is more lean and nutritious than grain fed and contains more vitamins, omega-3's and the fatty acid CLA, which can support reduction in fat.

• There are some observational studies out there saying that red meat is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and death, however in a massive review of 20 studies that included a total of 1,218,380 individuals, processed meat was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. However, no association was found for unprocessed red meat. So it would seem that processed meat is waaay worse for you than lean beef, and lean grass fed beef is even better.

• Processed meats include: sausage, bacon, sandwich meats are also very commonly processed.

• When meat is cooked at a high temperature, it can form harmful compounds. Some of these include Heterocyclic Amines (HAs), Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs), which can cause cancer in animals. If meat really raises your risk of cancer (which is yet to be proven) then this may be the reason

• Pork can be a healthier (leaner) alternative, but pork is still considered a red meat

• Choose lean cuts as opposed to fattier cuts like rib eye (which is my favorite cut). The reduction of fat can decrease your chances of getting colon cancer and heart disease.

Here are some tips to make sure your meat doesn’t form these harmful compounds:

1.Use gentler cooking methods like stewing and steaming instead of grilling and frying.

2.Minimize cooking at high heats and never expose your meat to a flame.

3.Do not eat charred and/or smoked food. If your meat is burnt, then cut away the charred pieces. This sucks, because I love charred meat, especially on a nice fatty rib eye!

4.If you marinate your meat in garlic, red wine, lemon juice or olive oil, it can reduce HCAs significantly.

5.If you must cook at a high heat, flip your meat frequently to prevent it from getting burned.

Overall, if you want to enjoy meat and receive the full benefits without any of the potential harmful consequences, then use the gentler cooking methods and avoid burnt meat.

Couple good links:
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-truth-about-red-meat
http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/is...
http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-study-links-l-carnitine-in-red-me...
http://www.medicaldaily.com/how-red-meat-affects-your-health-7-reasons-a...

Feedback, thoughts and input welcome. jI'm curious how much red meat other members here eat per week?

Peace,

Igi