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Blog author, Solai Buchanan is an experienced Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with an MS from Columbia Teachers College. She specializes in treating heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, polycystic ovarian syndrome,and other chronic diseases. She is a provider at a full-service cardiology practice accepting most insurance and staffed with a primary care MD, pediatrician, and cardiologist. Call: 718.894.7907. NYCC is lead by Interventional Cardiologist Sanjeev Palta, MD, FSCAI, FACC. He trained at Cornell-Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and the State University Hospital of Brooklyn. He currently is an Attending Cardiologist at New York Methodist Hospital and Maimonides Medical Center. He is also an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Having performed over 2000 invasive cardiac procedures Dr. Palta’s patients know they are in trusted hands.

Friday, July 5, 2013

EAT LESS RED MEAT TO CUT YOUR RISK OF HEART DISEASE, CANCER, & DIABETES

High-red-meat consumption has been linked to increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and premature death.  Here’s some of the latest research on how red meat impacts our disease risk as well as tips on how to minimize your risk.

 4 Reasons to Eat Less Meat
Protect your heart and vascular system. Many large studies show a clear association between red meat consumption and higher rates of heart disease and stroke.  For example, when researchers tracked more than 84,000 women in the U.S. Nurses’ Health Study for 26 years, they found that those who ate the most red meat (at least two 3-oz. servings a day) had a 29% higher risk of heart disease than those who ate the least (half a serving a day or less).  And, for each additional 1 oz. of processed red meat or 4 oz. of unprocessed meat consumed daily, non-hemorrhagic stroke risk increased by 21%.

One of the reasons red meat intake increases the risk of heart disease is due to the unhealthy saturated fats found in red meat that raise blood cholesterol levels and contribute to atherosclerosis, clogging of the arteries.  Choosing lean cuts helps to reduce intake of saturated fat. 

In addition to saturated fat, there are other components in red meat that appear to increase risk for heart disease and strokes.  Preserved meats such as deli meats contain high sodium content associated with increased blood pressure and stiffening of the arteries.  Also, just recently, researchers found that carnitine, a compound plentiful in meat, has a damaging effect on the health of arteries.  They found that when carnitine is broken down by bacteria in the digestive tract, a substance that promotes arterial inflammation and clogging of the arteries, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), is produced.  So, high TMAO levels along with high blood cholesterol appears to especially increase the risk of clogging of the coronary arteries and heart attack.  TMAO is also produced from the breakdown of choline and lecithin found in high amounts in egg yolks and liver as well as red meat.  Those who consume high levels of meat appear to have more of the bacterial that produce TMAO from carnitine, so eating meat less often not only decreases intake of carnitine but also the rates at which carnitine is converted into the damaging TMAO.

Cut your cancer risk.  There is growing consensus that high red meat consumption, especially processed red meats, increases risk of colorectal cancer.  Studies have also suggested red meat consumption increases risk for pancreatic, prostate, and esophageal cancer. The U.S. National Cancer Institute has estimated that for each additional 3 oz. serving of daily red meat consumption, risk of colorectal cancer increases by 20%.  Therefore they recommend limiting red meat to no more than three 3 oz. servings per week and avoiding processed meats altogether.   

The association between red meat and cancer is believed to stem from different compounds found in meat.  Most preserved meats such as bacon, sausage, and lunch meats have added nitrites that preserve the quality and color of the product.  In the gut, bacteria convert the nitrite to N-nitroso compounds which have been found to cause cancer in laboratory animals.  Preserved meats labeled nitrite-free use celery powder or sea salt as preservatives which, in combination with meat still cause nitrites to be produced in the gut, though the levels may be lower.

Other carcinogens known as heterocyclic amines (HCA) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are produced when meats (as well as other animal proteins such as chicken) are cooked at high temperatures or over an open flame.  In the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, researchers found a 20% higher risk of colorectal cancer among people who consumed the highest levels of two heterocyclic amines from meats cooked at high temperatures. Fortunately, this risk can be readily reduced because the levels of HCA’s and PAH’s are much lower in meats that are cooked at lower temperatures and are not well done.

Dodge diabetes.  While excess weight is the most potent risk for type 2 diabetes, multiple large studies link intake of red meat, especially processed red meat to rates of diabetes.  For example, a recent Harvard study tracked more than 200,000 men and women for up to 28 years. The risk of type 2 diabetes increased by 32% for every 1 ½ oz of processed meat—and by 12% for every 3oz. of unprocessed meat—eaten per day.  The link between red meat and diabetes is still being investigated.  It is believed that the saturated fats in meat increase overall inflammation which can increase insulin resistance in the cells of the body.  It is also believed that the N-nitroso compounds found in processed meats can damage the beta pancreatic cells that produce insulin.  

Live longer. Research has found that those who consume less meat tend to live longer.  For example, in 2012, scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health published data on more than 120,000 participants in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study. After 28 years, those who ate the most red meat (roughly two servings a day where a serving was 3 oz of cooked meat or 1 oz of preserved meat such as deli meat) had a 30% higher risk of dying than those who ate the least (about half a serving a day).  Similarly, in 2009, the U.S. NIH AARP Diet and Health Study reported results on over 500,000 seniors they had tracked for 10 years.  They found that after the 10 year period, those who ate the most red meat (about 5 oz. a day) were 30% more likely to die than those who ate on average, less than 1 oz. per day.
Follow These Tips to Minimize Your Disease Risk from Red Meat
  • Limit your intake of red meat.  Health organizations advise limiting intake to 9-15 oz. per week.  It’s not unusual for a restaurant steak to be a week’s worth of meat.  Remember, a 3 oz. serving of red meat is only about the size of a deck of cards.
  • Instead of meat opt for other lean protein sources including skinless poultry, fish, lowfat/nonfat dairy, beans, and soy-based veggie “meats”.
  • Eat as little processed meat as possible.  Use frozen products as convenience options.  When having processed meats, opt for those with no added nitrites and nitrates.
  • Avoid supplements with carnitine, lecithin, or choline.  For frequent meat eaters, these supplements likely have an especially detrimental effect on heart health. 
  • Cook meats at lower temperatures. Boiling, steaming, poaching, stewing, and microwaving generate no HCA’s because the temperature never tops the boiling point of water. If not using a moist heat preparation, opt for baking, roasting, and stir-frying which are safer than the high heat methods such as grilling, broiling, and deep-frying.

Healthier Grilling
Grilling is a fun summertime pastime and a tasty way to prepare proteins with minimal added oil.  However exposing meat and chicken to open flames and high heats produces carcinogens.  Here’s how to minimize carcinogens next time you grill.
  • Microwave before cooking. You can eliminate 90% of the HCA’s if you microwave meat, chicken first for 1½ to 2 minutes and pour off the juices.
  • Keep it moist. The drier and more well done the meat, the more HCA’s you get.
  • Marinate. This helps the meat stay moist.  It doesn’t seem to matter what’s in the marinade or how long the food sits in the liquid. You can dip it in right before you throw it on the grill.
  • Try seafood. As long as you don’t char seafood, it should have fewer HCAs than meat or poultry.
  • Flip frequently. Turning over meat or poultry every minute cuts the HCA’s by 75-95% because the surface temperature stays lower.
  • Eat your veggies. Veggie burgers and cooked vegetables generate few or no HCA’s. And cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts may actually help the liver detoxify HCA’s.


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