Americans consume a lot of red meat. Here's why you shouldn't.

Americans can't seem to get enough beef. From juicy burgers to tender steaks, many of us line up at fast food restaurants, dine in at steak houses, or crowd around the grill at backyard barbecues. For the companies providing those cuts and patties, business is good – to the tune of nearly $500 billion, according to one market analysis. 

But for the consumer, does eating all that meat have a negative health effect? Experts weigh in on the raw truths of consuming red meat. 

What is red meat? 

The first question many people have is what constitutes a meat as being "red?" In general, it's meat that is red when raw, usually coming from non-bird or non-fish sources. "For simplicity, think of any meat coming from an animal with four legs as red meat," offers Kearson Petruzzi, a registered dietician for Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition. Such meats have that distinct color because they contain more myoglobin than chicken or fish. The amount of myoglobin in animal muscles determines the color of the meat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Dr. Donald Hensrud, an associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition for Mayo Clinic and the editor of “The Mayo Clinic Diet,” says red meats "include beef, veal, pork, lamb and venison."

What nutrients do you get from red meat?

As with any part of a healthy diet, red meat provides only some nutrients. For its part, "red meat provides iron, zinc and B-vitamins," says Petruzzi. Indeed, red meat is one of the main dietary sources of vitamin B12 in particular. Red meat also contains modest amounts of the mineral selenium and the vitamin niacin. 

Josh Redd, NMD, the founder of RedRiver Health and Wellness and author of "The Truth About Low Thyroid," says that "red meat is also an excellent source of high-quality protein that's more easily absorbed than plant proteins." Lack of protein, he says, "can make it harder to maintain muscle mass and metabolism and to have good immune resilience."

When getting such protein from meat sources, Redd says it's helpful to remember that ounces of meat are not equivalent to grams of protein. "An ounce of meat has about 7 grams of protein," he explains. That means a single 6-ounce steak has 42 grams of protein – already approaching the daily intake of protein the CDC recommends. 

It's also worth noting that there are many other sources of protein beyond red meat that include beans, eggs, cheese, Greek yogurt and other animal meat. Petruzzi adds that the vitamins and minerals found in red meat are also found in poultry, fish, nuts and plant-based sources.

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Is red meat bad for you? 

Consuming red meat, then, is not essential to a healthy diet, and may even pose some health risks if consumed too frequently. General recommendations are to have red meat no more than once per week.  

Mayo Clinic notes that leaner cuts of beef can be part of a healthy diet and suggests sticking to ones like top sirloin and top or bottom round roasts. Some of the most concerning red meats include ham, bacon and salami. Significant consumption thereof has been linked to Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. 

Another thing to consider when indulging in red meat is the other foods one is already consuming. "For the average American who is eating way too many sugars and carbs, they’re going to want to especially minimize their consumption of saturated fats and red meats," says Redd. He explains that's because high-carb diets raise levels of insulin and blood sugar.

Petruzzi similarly warns against the saturated fat contained in red meat and notes that red meat can also raise one's LDL cholesterol levels – the "bad" cholesterol we need to avoid. What's more, the World Health Organization has classified red meat as a group 2A carcinogen.

Hensrud says that because there is no health requirement to include red meat in one's diet and because there are healthier sources of the nutrients it provides, the risks may outweigh the benefits. "Generally, the less red meat you eat, the better."

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