Research from the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center has found that contrary to previous studies, red meat consumption may not be directly linked to inflammation. The team analyzed data from older adults and discovered that after adjusting for BMI, there was no association between red meat and inflammation markers. Dr. Alexis Wood emphasizes the importance of basing dietary recommendations about red meat on solid scientific evidence.
Inflammation is a risk factor for various chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), and understanding the impact of diet on inflammation is of growing interest in the scientific community. Previous recommendations to limit red meat consumption were partly based on older studies suggesting that red meat negatively affects inflammation. However, more recent studies have not supported this claim.
Dr. Alexis Wood, associate professor of pediatrics – nutrition at the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, states, “The role of diet, including red meat, on inflammation and disease risk has not been adequately studied, which can lead to public health recommendations that are not based on strong evidence. Our team sought to take a closer look by using metabolite data in the blood, which can provide a more direct link between diet and health.”
To conduct their research, Wood and her team analyzed cross-sectional data from approximately 4,000 older adults participating in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). The study’s findings were recently published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Cross-sectional data is valuable for understanding how diet influences health as it observes data from individuals living their daily lives without any outside influence. This allows for easier application of the results to real-life settings.
In addition to evaluating participants’ self-reported food intake and various biomarkers, researchers examined a range of dietary intake metabolites in the blood. Plasma metabolites can provide insights into the effects of dietary intake as food is processed, digested, and absorbed.
The researchers discovered that when adjusted for body mass index (BMI), consumption of unprocessed and processed red meat (beef, pork, or lamb) was not directly linked to any markers of inflammation. This suggests that increased systemic inflammation may be driven by body weight rather than red meat. The lack of a connection between red meat consumption and C-reactive protein (CRP), a major inflammatory risk marker for chronic disease, was of particular interest.
Wood explains, “Our analysis contributes to the growing body of evidence that emphasizes the importance of measuring plasma markers, such as metabolites, to study associations between diet and disease risk, instead of relying solely on self-reported dietary intake. Our analysis does not support previous observational research that linked red meat consumption to inflammation.”
Further research is needed to establish whether red meat truly has no impact on inflammation. Observational studies cannot determine cause and effect, so randomized controlled trials (RCTs) where individuals are randomly assigned to consume or avoid a specific dietary factor are necessary to gain additional evidence. Several RCTs have shown that lean unprocessed beef can be included in heart-healthy diets.
Wood adds, “We need more studies before making recommendations to limit red meat consumption for reducing inflammation. If we want to base dietary recommendations on the most up-to-date evidence, strong scientific evidence is essential. Red meat is a popular and culturally ingrained part of our diet, so any recommendations to reduce its consumption should be well-supported.”
Reference: “Untargeted metabolomic analysis investigating links between unprocessed red meat intake and markers of inflammation” by Alexis C. Wood et al., 1 September 2023, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
