Myth: Iron from red meat increases the risk of heart disease.
Truth: This is false.
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and researchers have found associations between eating more red meat and heart disease risk. However, it is not known how red meat can increase the risk of heart disease. Researchers speculated that it may be because red meat is rich in iron, and high iron levels in the blood can potentially contribute to the development of heart disease.
In The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a German study investigated if iron in red meat increases the risk of heart disease. Researchers found that iron from red meat does not increase the risk of heart disease. The study suggests that there must be other health or lifestyle factors that are the actual cause of heart disease. However, the study did find evidence that eating more red meat increases the risk of a heart attack. It remains unknown how red meat increases this risk. Click here to read more about this study.
Reference
- Quintana Pacheco DA, Sookthai D, Wittenbecher C, et al. Red meat consumption and risk of cardiovascular diseases-is increased iron load a possible link?. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;107(1):113-119. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqx014
