A recent Washington Post article reveals the findings of a study by the Institute of Environmental Medicine in Stockholm, Sweden.
The study found that people with diets heavy in red meat were more likely to develop heart disease even though they ate a lot of vegetables. The study began with data from 74,645 adults, most in their late 50s or early 60s. None had a history of cardiovascular disease or cancer. Over the course of 16 years, 17,909 of the participants died.
The Post reports that “the more processed and unprocessed red meat people ate regularly, the more likely they were to have died — 21 percent more likely than those who ate the least meat overall.
The study also found that early cardiovascular-related death was 29 percent more likely among those whose regular diets included the most red meat compared with those who ate the least. Most noteworthy is that those risks were regardless of fruit and vegetable intake. The researchers stated they found “no interaction between red meat and fruit and vegetable consumption.
This isn’t the first study to link meat to heart disease and other illnesses, such as diabetes, stroke, and even cancer. Study after study has shown that meat is detrimental to one’s health. In fact, the World Health Organization reported that processed meats are just as hazardous to your health as cigarettes. Additionally, the Mayo Clinic recently reported that switching to a plant-based diet could add up to four years to your life.
The writing is on the wall: Processed meats and red meat will kill you. Thankfully, you can take action and protect your health simply by giving up meat and switching to a nutritious plant-based diet.
Visit ChooseVeg.com to learn more about transitioning to a healthy and delicious vegan diet.