Less life expectancy Meat eating significantly shortens life

Lower life expectancy due to a lot of meat
According to a new study, two sausage rolls or one schnitzel per day are enough to have a statistically significantly lower life expectancy. Consuming fruits and vegetables can not offset the negative effects of meat consumption.

Preventive potential for many diseases
In recent years, numerous scientific studies have shown that there are many health reasons for a meat-free diet. Vegetarian or predominantly herbal diets can therefore make an important contribution to the protection against diseases such as obesity, diabetes mellitus type 2, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. On the other hand, high meat consumption can help to reduce life expectancy.

According to a new study, high meat consumption significantly lowers life expectancy. Even the consumption of health-promoting foods can not compensate for the negative consequences. (Image: karandaev / fotolia.com)

Longer life through meat renunciation
Red meat in particular, according to experts, poses an increased health risk.

Last year, US scientists published in the journal The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association the results of a study that found that people who do not eat meat live for almost four years longer.

Now, a study from Sweden has shown that high meat consumption significantly reduces life expectancy. And regardless of how much health-promoting food such as fruits and vegetables is eaten otherwise.

Impact on life expectancy
According to the APA news agency, scientists at the Karolinska Institutet Medical University in Stockholm spent the next 16 years studying the effects of meat consumption on life expectancy among 74,645 people of different ages.

At the beginning of the study, they collected the dietary habits of these individuals and divided them into five groups depending on the average amount of meat consumed daily.

Kurt Widhalm, President of the Austrian Academic Institute of Nutritional Medicine (ÖAIE) commented: "At the end of the observation period, it was found that the death rate in the group with the highest meat consumption (over 117 grams per day) was 21 percent higher Group with the lowest meat consumption (below 46 grams per day). "

"Deaths from cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes were much more common in people with high meat consumption," says the expert.

Consumption of fruits and vegetables does not outweigh the negative consequences
The study also examined whether intake of fruits and vegetables could offset the negative impact of high meat consumption.

"Here, the authors of the study came to the conclusion that this is clearly not the case: The increased morbidity and mortality was equally present in all persons with high meat consumption," said Widhalm.

"So that means two sausage rolls or one schnitzel a day are enough to have a statistically significantly lower life expectancy. Regardless of whether you eat healthy otherwise and eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. "

Meat consumption should be at least halved
Experts have long been advised to withhold meat and sausage. Recently, the environmental organization Greenpeace pointed out that meat consumption should be better halved.

This would also make an important contribution to the ecologic life.

The ÖAIE recommends significantly reducing meat consumption and instead eating more health-promoting foods such as fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains.

"A maximum of two servings of fresh red meat such as beef, pork or lamb should be eaten each week. Processed meat products such as sausage and ham should only be consumed once a week, if at all, even to a minimum of 50 grams, "said Widhalm. "Anything beyond that has been proven to be harmful to health." (Ad)