A New Study Explores The Dangers Of Red Meat Consumption Amongst Men

A few weeks ago, we told you about how, despite common conception, red meat may not actually be detrimental to heart health. However, a recent study also suggests that men who eat too much red meat have a higher risk of developing diverticulitis.

The Dangers Of Diverticulitis

Diverticulosis is what happens when small pouches form in the large intestine of colon. These pouches are susceptible to getting infected or inflamed, which can be very painful. As well as pain, the condition can also cause fever and chills, bloating, gas, diarrhoea, constipation and nausea.

The Study

The study, which was headed by researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston followed over 46,000 male health professionals for more than 26 years, monitoring their diet and the amount of red meat they ate per week.

The results found that over the years, 764 men developed diverticulitis. The men who ate over 12 servings of red meat per week were 58% more likely to be diagnosed with the condition versus men who eat only one serving or less of meat per week.

The researchers accounted for factors like age, smoking and obesity but even then, men who ate more red meat were more likely to develop diverticulitis.

“This study offers one more reason to consider limiting the red meat in your diet,” said Dr Andrew Chan of the Massachusetts General Hospital and a senior researcher in the study. Instead, the researchers recommend you swap out servings of red meat with poultry or other proteins. Additionally, doctors have suggested that diverticulitis can be caused by low fibre diets, so ensure you are getting enough fibres each day.