Research following over half a million people for a decade found that those who ate the most red and processed meats had an overall higher risk of dying, particularly from heart disease and cancer.

This study reviewed 10 year data from 1995 from the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. The foundation data included demographic information and food frequency questionnaires provided from over half a million citizens.

Major findings of this study:

• A total of 71,252 people, including 47,976 men and 23,276 women, died over the 10 year follow up period.
• The one fifth of men and women who ate the most red meat had a higher risk of overall death and death from cancer and heart disease than the one fifth who ate the least red meat.
• The results were similar for the one fifth who ate the most processed meat compared to those who ate the least.
• The one fifth of men and women who ate the most white meat (eg fish, poultry) had a slightly lower risk of total death, death from cancer, and death from causes other than cancer or heart disease, compared to the one fifth who ate the least white meat.
• 11 per cent of deaths in men and 16 per cent of deaths in women could be prevented if they reduced their consumption of red meat to that of the one fifth who ate the least.