Red meat leaves you gutted
Danger of developing painful pockets in intestine, bloating
EATING red meat six times a week significantly increases the risk of a painful bowel condition, scientists have found.
The diet results in a 58% higher risk of developing diverticulitis – a gut condition which causes severe abdominal pain and bloating.
Experts found a high dietary intake of red meat, particularly unprocessed meat such as steak or chops, was linked to a heightened risk of developing the inflammatory bowel condition.
Every weekly portion of red meat swopped for poultry or fish reduced the risk of developing diverticulitis by 18%, the US researchers found.
Diverticulitis is a common digestive condition in which small bulges or pockets develop in the lining of the intestine and become inflamed or infected. As well as abdominal pain, it can cause stomach upsets and even a high fever.
It affects about one in every 100 people by the age of 40, but by the age of 80 one in 10 people will have experienced the problem.
About 4% of those affected will develop severe or longterm complications, such as perforations in the gut wall and abscesses.
The study, led by experts at Harvard Medical School, suggests increasing consumption of meat may play a role. The team, whose work is published in the journal Gut, analysed the data from 46500 men who took part in a health monitoring project between 1986 and 2012.
The participants, aged between 40 and 75 when they joined the study, were asked every four years about their weekly diet. During the 26-year monitoring period, 764 men developed diverticulitis.
Those who ate higher quantities of red meat tended to use common anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers more often, smoked more, and were less likely to exercise vigorously. Their fibre intake was also lower. But after taking account of these potentially influential factors, total red meat intake was still associated with heightened diverticulitis risk.
Compared with the lowest 20% levels of consumption, the highest 20% consumption of red meat intake was linked to a 58% heightened risk of developing diverticulitis, with risk peaked at six servings a week.
The scientists suspect the type of bacteria colonising the gut – microbiome – may explain the trend, with red meat consumption encouraging certain bugs. They wrote: “Emerging evidence suggests that short-term and long-term diet, particularly red meat intake, alters the microbial community structure.”
The higher temperatures involved with cooking unprocessed meat may also play a role, the researchers said, as this may influence bacterial composition or inflammatory activity. – Daily Mail