Reducing the intake of processed meat by approximately one-third could prevent over 350,000 cases of diabetes in the US over a 10-year period.
Cutting back on processed meat consumption by 30%—equivalent to about 10 slices of bacon a week—could also result in tens of thousands fewer cases of cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer, according to researchers.
A study conducted by the University of Edinburgh’s Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems in collaboration with the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, utilized a simulation tool to estimate the health benefits of reducing processed and unprocessed red meat consumption.
The researchers examined the effects of reducing processed meat and unprocessed red meat consumption on various health outcomes in the US population using data from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention national health survey.
The study unveiled that by reducing processed meat intake by 30%, there could be a prevention of 350,000 diabetes cases, 92,500 cardiovascular disease cases, and 53,300 colorectal cancer cases over a decade.
Reducing consumption of both processed and unprocessed red meat by 30% could potentially lead to 1,073,400 fewer diabetes cases, 382,400 less cardiovascular disease cases, and 84,400 fewer colorectal cancer cases.
On the other hand, cutting down unprocessed red meat intake alone by 30% could result in over 732,000 fewer diabetes cases, 291,500 fewer cardiovascular disease cases, and 32,200 fewer colorectal cancer cases.
The study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal and funded by The Wellcome Trust, analyzed the health benefits of meat consumption reduction not only for individuals but also for the planet in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Professor Lindsay Jaacks, a key figure in the study, emphasized that reducing meat consumption not only contributes to mitigating climate change but also offers significant health benefits, making it a positive outcome for both people and the environment.
