Meat Your Match: Does Beef Really Kill?

TheDailyZeel

By: StacyAtZeel

Some scientists are thinking that "Meatless Mondays" may not be enough. According to a recent, somewhat morbid, Harvard study, entitled "Red Meat Consumption and Mortality," any increase in the amount of red meat consumed on any given day can contribute to the risk of an early grave.

As stated by one of the postdoctoral fellows involved in the research, "Any red meat you eat contributes to the risk." But as Zeel Nutrition Expert Laura Cipullo explains, "When someone makes such bold and dramatic statements, it is important to go back to the source or study it was derived from."

Laura, a registered dietitian and blogger behind Mom Dishes It Out, points us toward the reaction of Carol Koprowski, a professor of preventative medicine at USC's Keck School of Medicine. Carol cautions that with studies like these (the study examined the eating habits of more than 100,000 adults over two decades), there's plenty of room for error in the way specific information is gathered and recorded.

So the question remains: How do we move past the kinds of headlines that read All Red Meat Is Bad For You?

Explains Laura: "Nothing in excess is beneficial. Rather, focus on eating lean red meat that is unprocessed and baked to prevent carcinogens-the black burnt trimmings on your steak."

Registered dietitian, Feeding Philosophies founder and Zeel Expert Melanie Silverman adds: "A daily healthy diet is built on eating a variety of foods from each food group. Three ounces of lean meat twice per week can provide a solid source of protein and iron, but it is important to choose other sources of protein including poultry, fish, beans, nuts and low fat dairy to optimize your health."

Laura tends to agree. She too suggests incorporating fish into your meals two to three times a week, poultry two times a week, and a vegetarian dinner one to two times a week. With a packed menu like that, you'll have little room for burgers and T-bones anyway.