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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
Medical validation:
August 14, 2022
According to a new study, it is the substances produced by the body following the consumption of red meat that would promote these risks.
Consumption of red meat has many health benefits: it is a good source of protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12, essential for the formation of red blood cells. Nevertheless, it could increase the risk of heart disease, according to a new study published in the American Heart Association.
Nearly 3931 volunteers participated in the study
To arrive at this observation, the researchers analyzed the eating habits of 3,931 participants, aged 73 on average. At the start of the study, none had cardiovascular disease.
In addition, almost two-thirds of the participants were women.
Their consumption of red meat, processed meat, fish, poultry and eggs was measured, as was the frequency of consumption of these foods.
Then, fasting blood samples were taken and the researchers tested them.
They then discovered that a high consumption of meat is linked to an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, characterized by an accumulation of fatty deposits (atheroma plaques) on the walls of the arteries.
“Eating more meat, especially red meat and processed meat, is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, even later in life“, thus confirmed Meng Wang, co-author of the study and postdoctoral fellow at the Friedman School of Science & Policy.
NO to diets, YES to WW!
These substances produced by the body following the consumption of red meat seem to be the main culprits:
“Metabolites generated by our gut microbes from nutrients [trouvés] in red meat, along with blood sugar and general inflammation, seem to explain much of this elevated risk – more so than the effects of blood cholesterol or blood pressure“, specifies Meng Wang.
A finding confirmed by the co-lead author, Dariush Mozaffarian, dean at the Friedman School:
“We have identified three main pathways that help explain the links between red and processed meat and cardiovascular disease – microbiome-related metabolites like TMAO [produit d’oxydation issu du foie]blood sugar and general inflammation – and each of these seemed to be more important than pathways related to blood cholesterol or blood pressure”.
Certain components of red meat, such as L-carnitine (an amino acid naturally present in red meat) and heme iron, must therefore be the subject of “new research”.
The objective of the researchers? Better understand the close link between red meat and heart risks.