LONDON, Sept 30: Cutting back on red and processed meat brings few if any health benefits, according to a review of studies involving millions of people, a finding that contradicts dietary advice of leading international agencies and raised immediate objections from many health experts.
A statement scheduled for publication by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, shared with Reuters by Dr. Frank Hu, chair of the Department of Nutrition, said,"from a public health point of view, it is irresponsible and unethical to issue dietary guidelines that are tantamount to promoting meat consumption, even if there is still some uncertainty about the strength of the evidence.”
A panel of experts writing in The Lancet in January outlined an"ideal diet" for human health and the planet that said global average red meat consumption should be cut by 50per cent and consumption of nuts, fruits, vegetables and legumes should double. Among the observational studies, which covered millions of people, they did find"a very small reduction in risk" in those who ate three fewer servings of red or processed meat a week, but said that this association"was very uncertain.""Our bottom line recommendation ... is that for the majority of people, but not everyone, continuing their red and processed meat consumption is the best approach," Johnson said.