New Reason to Lay Off Red Meat

By Meghan Rabbitt

Turns out smoking isn’t your only risk factor when it comes to lung disease. A study of more than 500,000 people age 50 to 71 found a link between eating red meat and this type of cancer. The study also associated red-meat intake with an elevated risk for cancers of the esophagus and liver. Why? “Some studies have shown that eating cooked or cured meat can promote the formation of precancerous cells,” says Jeannie Gazzaniga-Moloo, RD, a dietician in Granite Bay, California. The research stopped short of establishing safe levels of meat consumption, but Gazzaniga-Moloo suggests eating no more than two 3-ounce servings each week. “This study is further proof of the importance of eating a variety of protein sources, including fish, poultry, and legumes,” she says.