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6 Health Risks of Eating Too Much Red Meat: What to Eat Instead

6 Health Risks of Eating Too Much Red Meat: What to Eat Instead

Author: Dorcas Ojokuku , Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc), in view 

Reviewed by: Dr Azuka Ezeike, MBBS, FWACS, FMCOG, MSc (PH)

Highlights

  • Eating too much red or processed meat can increase your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other serious illnesses.
  • Cooking meat at very high heat (like grilling or frying) can create harmful chemicals that may cause cancer.
  • Red and processed meats are strongly linked to colorectal cancer more than any other type of cancer.
  • A chemical called Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), produced when you digest red meat, can harm your heart.
  • Eating just 100g of red meat a day can raise your risk of getting type 2 diabetes by up to 17%.
  • To stay healthy, limit red meat to 500g per week and avoid processed meat as much as possible.


Introduction 

Eating habits, including the kind of foods you eat and how often you eat them, are one of the major determinants of health. Around the world, red meat is a star on the dinner table, loved across many tribes and cultures for its rich nutrients like iron and protein, and, of course, taste.However, despite its delicious taste and richness, research shows that overeating it puts us at risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, among others [1]. 

This debate between its nutritional benefits and health risks makes us wonder if red meat should be avoided totally or if a healthy balance can be achieved. Let’s understand the different types of meat and what makes them up before we explore the risks.

Red vs White Meat and Processed Meat

  • According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Red meat refers to all raw mammalian muscle meat, including beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, horse, and goat. Its name and colour are derived from the presence of a protein called myoglobin, which is a great source of dietary iron and protein.
  • White meat (like chicken, turkey, or duck) is paler with less myoglobin.
  • Processed meat (like bacon, canned meat, ham, sausages and so on) refers to meat that has been modified by salting, fermentation, curing, or other methods to enhance flavour and preservation. And these are the most harmful to your health.

The rising trends  in the consumption of red and processed meat and their cooking methods are among the factors believed to be contributing to the rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs)

What are the Health Risks of Red Meat Consumption? 

Risk 1:Increased Risk of Heart Diseases.

Eating a lot of red meat (processed or not) raises your chances of having heart disease, especially coronary heart disease and stroke, and even dying from it 

This is the science behind it:

  • Digested fat from meat may raise your fat levels and contribute to obesity.
  • High sodium in processed meat (from salting) may raise your blood pressure. 
  • As your body breaks down red meat, it produces Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a by-product of red meat metabolism, which contributes to heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular diseases) or other heart-related issues. 

Risk 2: Colorectal and other cancers

Red meat consumption increases the risk of cancer of the large intestine and upper part of the anus (colorectal cancer) [2]. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies processed red meat as "carcinogenic to humans" (Group 1) and unprocessed red meat as "probably carcinogenic" (Group 2A). Carcinogens are substances that can make you more prone to cancer.

How does red meat cause cancer [2]?

  • When you cook meat at a high temperature, till it's burned or charred, it releases certain harmful chemicals, like Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which disrupt the structure of your DNA  [1].
  • Haem-iron, the iron found in red meat, although it has nutritional benefits, can cause damage to cell DNA when present in excess in the body.
  • Microbes in the gut, the good bacteria in your digestive system, might interact with some of these chemicals (HAA and PAH) and hurt your body.
  • Some naturally existing substances (like lipid, protein, N-glycolylneuraminic acid and heme iron) and newly formed ones during processing (such as heterocyclic amines, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and N-nitroso compounds) could also contribute to the formation of cancer cells.


Cancers associated with red meat include [3]:


Researchers are most certain of the link between red meat and colorectal cancer.

Risk 3: Higher risk of Diabetes

Eating even as little as 100g per day over time raises your risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) by 17% [4].

  • Also, a 2020 study showed that red meat is linked with a higher probability of developing Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA), also known as type 1.5 diabetes, a combination of type 1 and type 2 diabetes [5].
  • Ultimately, the risk of developing diabetes from red meat, like all other risks, depends on how much and how frequently you eat it. 

Risk 4: Higher risk of Hypertension

Hypertension, also known as  high blood pressure, is yet another condition that you may be at a higher risk of developing with consistent and excessive intake of processed red meat [4].

High sodium in red and processed meat is likely to raise your blood pressure, leading to hypertension. This is because too much sodium in your system causes water retention, which increases your blood volume, thereby contributing to elevated blood pressure

Risk 5: Higher Risk of Chronic Lung Disease

Although there are many reasons why you could develop chronic lung disease, research has identified eating too much processed and red meat to be one of those contributing factors. Evidence shows that a 50g per week increase in consumption was linked to an 8% risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, a type of lung disease [6]. particularly if you smoke or have an unhealthy dietary lifestyle [7].

Risk 6: Increased Risk of Dying from Any Cause

Long-term studies show that frequent consumption of red and processed meat increases the overall risk of death [4].

  • Research shows that if you consume up to 50g of red meat daily, you are at a 15% increased risk of dying from chronic diseases, such as heart disease, hypertension, chronic lung disease, and so on [4].

How Much Red Meat Is Too Much?

These risks may be scary to hear, but what matters is moderation.

  • The World Cancer Research Fund says no more than 500g (cooked weight, about 18ounces, or about 750g raw weight) of red meat per week is best.
  • Likewise, the  American Institute for Cancer Research says you shouldn’t eat more than 3 portions of red meat a week, or 12-18 ounces, which is approximately 340-510g (cooked weight).
  • You should also totally avoid processed meat, and if you must eat it, eat a little.


Healthy Ways To Cook Red Meat

It is best to avoid cooking methods such as

  • Grilling, or barbequing at high temperatures, especially till charred. It allows the formation of carcinogens.
  • Deep frying: increases fat content and forms harmful compounds.


Instead, adopt these healthier cooking methods.

  • Boiling at low temperatures
  • Slow cooking
  • Sous vide is a cooking technique in which food is vacuum-sealed in a bag and slowly cooked in a precisely controlled, low-temperature water bath over an extended period of time. This method ensures even cooking and helps retain the food's natural moisture, flavour, and nutrients.
  • Marination, especially with ingredients rich in antioxidants, is quite healthy and beneficial [8].

Healthier Alternatives to Red Meat.

If you're thinking of totally scrapping red meat from your diet, here are some healthier alternatives you should include in your diet.

  • Fish
  • Poultry like chicken and turkey
  • Nuts
  • Eggs
  • Beans
  • Whole grains like Brown Rice, Oats, etc.
  • Low-fat dairy products like skimmed milk, yoghurt, and kefir.



Additionally, dietary guidelines recommend,

  • More fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
  • Moderate intake of lean animal proteins and dairy
  • Less added sugar, salt, and saturated fat


Conclusion

While red meat is both tasty and good for you, full of iron, protein, and vitamins, just like all things, you should not eat too much of it. Eating too much can be bad for your health. Studies show that too much red meat can increase your risk of getting sick with diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. It can even lead to death from these illnesses. So, you might want to pick other healthy food choices like fish, chicken, eggs, or beans.  If you must eat red meat, take it in moderation and avoid cooking at very high heat. 

References

  1. IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Red meat and processed meat [Internet]. Lyon (FR): International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2018 [cited 2025 Jun 28]. (IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans). Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507971/
  2. Surya R. Mechanistic hypotheses on colorectal cancer and red meat intake: a review. IOP Conf Ser: Earth Environ Sci [Internet]. 2020 Feb 1 [cited 2025 Jun 12];426(1):012176. Available from: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/426/1/012176
  3. Farvid, M. S., Sidahmed, E., Spence, N. D., Mante Angua, K., Rosner, B. A., & Barnett, J. B. (2021). Consumption of red meat and processed meat and cancer incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. European journal of epidemiology, 36(9), 937–951. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-021-00741-9
  4. Zhang X, Liang S, Chen X, Yang J, Zhou Y, Du L, et al. Red/processed meat consumption and non-cancer-related outcomes in humans: umbrella review. Br J Nutr [Internet]. 2023 Aug 14 [cited 2025 Jul 1];130(3):484–94. Available from: https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0007114522003415/type/journal_article
  5. Löfvenborg JE, Ahlqvist E, Alfredsson L, Andersson T, Groop L, Tuomi T, et al. Consumption of red meat, genetic susceptibility, and risk of LADA and type 2 diabetes. Eur J Nutr [Internet]. 2021 Mar [cited 2025 Jul 1];60(2):769–79. Available from: https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00394-020-02285-2
  6. Salari-Moghaddam A, Milajerdi A, Larijani B, Esmaillzadeh A. Processed red meat intake and risk of COPD: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Clinical Nutrition [Internet]. 2019 Jun [cited 2025 Jul 1];38(3):1109–16. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S026156141830205X
  7. Varraso R, Dumas O, Boggs KM, Willett WC, Speizer FE, Camargo CA. Processed meat intake and risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among middle-aged women. EClinicalMedicine [Internet]. 2019 Sep [cited 2025 Jul 1];14:88 95. Available from:https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2589537019301348
  8. Karaman M, Yüncü-Boyaci Ö, Serdaroğlu M. Enhancing meat quality through marination: principle, ingredients and effects. Food Science and Applied Biotechnology [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2025 Jul 1]; Available from: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Enhancing-meat-quality-through-marination%3A-and-Serdaro%C4%9Flu-Y%C3%BCnc%C3%BC-Boyaci/17a625445a259238a5ca414ef6ecedc14df6fb26?utm_source=consensus


Disclaimer:
The information provided on this website is for general educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Published July 22, 2025

Raw beef steak surrounded by herbs and spices on a black surface