Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Consumption of processed meats significantly increases cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, whereas unprocessed red meat consumption has little to no association with CVD mortality.
Avoid processed meats (bacon, sausages, deli meats) to reduce cardiovascular risk, regardless of whether they are labeled 'low-fat' or 'lean.' Focus on unprocessed meats, fish, nuts, and legumes instead. The risk from processed meats is driven by preservatives like sodium, not just fat.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
intake of processed meat was associated with a 30% higher rate of cardiovascular disease (CVD) (per 50 g/day, relative risk 1.30, 95% confidence interval 1.17 to 1.45)... intake of unprocessed red meat was not significantly associated with total or cause-specific mortality
Why this rating
Based on a large prospective cohort (EPIC, n=448,568) with multivariate adjustment, though observational design limits causal certainty.
Source
Processing of meats and cardiovascular risk: time to focus on preservatives
Renata Micha et al. · BMC Medicine · 2013
narrative_review · n=448568Cited 92×
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