Flying in the face of almost every nutritional tidbit we’ve been fed over the past few years, new research has revealed that eating red meat and cheese can actually help you live longer – as opposed to what was long thought to be the opposite.
Researchers from McMaster University in Canada conducted a study that found that regularly consuming unprocessed red meat and cheese can reduce your risk of an early death by improving the heart health.
More than 218,000 adult study participants from over 50 countries were divided into five categories according to their diets. It was found that those who ate a moderate amount of dairy and one and a half servings of red meat as part of a balanced diet were able to drastically reduce their chances of an early death.
Speaking on the research at the European Society for Cardiology, the study’s principal investigator Dr Andrew Mente, said: “People who consumed a diet emphasising fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, dairy products and meat had the lowest risks of cardiovascular disease and early death.
“Thinking on what constitutes a high quality diet for a global population needs to be reconsidered. For example, our results show that dairy products and meat are beneficial for heart health and longevity. This differs from current dietary advice.”
Research had previously shown that eating excessive amounts of red and processed meat can reportedly increase ones risk of cancer as the likes of salami and bacon are proven carcinogens.
