Article courtesy of Truly Huge Bodybuilding Forum

Red meat is a popular — and tasty — protein source that many bodybuilders use liberally in their nutrition programs. But red meat has also come under attack from the mainstream media as a culprit in many health problems.

So what’s the real story? Is red meat OK, or does eating red meat make you more likely to DIE?

Here is what we know.

Scientific Studies

Researchers have been interested in the effects that red meat has on the human body for many years and there are studies that show red meat may increase inflammation.

More specifically, some research shows that red meat may lead to cancer or heart disease.

But recent research has focused specifically on whether eating red meat makes you more likely to die — from any cause — than if you avoid red meat.

For instance, a 2014 study examined the results of available earlier studies into the effects of eating red meat, both processed and unprocessed. The researchers found that total red meat consumption, and especially processed red meat consumption, does appear to increase overall mortality rates. They found little correlation between unprocessed red meat and death rates, though.

Then, in 2015, Chinese researchers conducted another literature review of studies into the effects of red meat. Examining more than 150,000 deaths around the world, the scientists concluded that a higher intake of red meat (overall) and processed red meat in particular tends to lead to a higher death rate. Interestingly, while the researchers noted that unprocessed red meat seems to be correlated with death rate in the United States, the same does not seem to be true in other parts of the world.

What Should You Do?

So does this mean that you’re going to die sooner if you eat red meat on a regular basis?

Not necessarily.

Most of these results point to processed meats — and not unprocessed red meat — as the main culprit in these particular studies.

Lean, unprocessed red meat is probably OK for most lifters, at least on an occasional basis. There is little reason to include processed meats in your diet, though, so you should avoid those as much as possible.

More than anything, though, you need to involve your doctor in planning out your long-term eating strategy. Get a complete physical and make sure that you don’t have any health risks that red meat might exacerbate.

After all, no protein source is worth compromising your health, right?