How much meat can a person eat per week without health risks? Can meat consumption cause cancer or other diseases? We tell you what the scientific evidence says about the risks of eating too much meat. Nutritional recommendations regarding meat consumption have changed a lot in recent times. Knowledge and evidence demand it. This food (or should we say food group) has always been a source of some debate, one way or another. Based on current knowledge, we can safely say that the amount consumed per week should be limited for health reasons. What can we say about this?
Weekly meat recommendations
According to the WHO, an organisation that we can use as a reference, we should reduce our weekly consumption of processed meat (sausages, sausages, prepared meats) to less than 500 g and that of lean red meat to up to 500 g.
Setting a maximum weekly meat consumption recommendation has been complicated in recent decades and has undergone many variations. Depending on the organization, in fact, we can find some differences. For example:
- The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends no more than 500 grams of processed red meat per week and suggests limiting the amount of unprocessed red meat to 2 or 3 servings per week.
- The Spanish Agency for Consumption, Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) recommends a “moderate consumption” of red meat (beef, pork, lamb, and goat) and processed meat (sausages and other cured meats): between two and three servings per week.
- The World Cancer Research Fund specifies a recommendation of between 350 and 500 grams per week.
- The NHS, the British public health system, speaks of a maximum of 70 grams per day.
- The American Heart Association recommends no more than 170 grams of lean red meat per day, which is about 2 servings per week.
- The American Cancer Society recommends limiting red and processed meat consumption and suggests consuming less than 510 grams of red meat per week.
Benefits of meat consumption
But is it that eating meat has no benefits that make it necessary to restrict its consumption? Of course it does. Our species has evolved as omnivores, taking advantage of the nutrients from the meat of other animals. This food is a rich source of nutrients and high-quality proteins (known as bioavailable) that can provide several health benefits.
It also provides iron, zinc, selenium, and other vitamins and minerals essential for health. Meat, on the other hand, promotes satiety due to its nutritional composition, which can help control appetite and overeating.
Depending on the person, cooked meat is usually easier to digest, which provides a nutritional contribution with a large amount of available nutrients. On the other hand, another benefit of meat consumption is the maintenance and gain of muscle mass. Although it is not essential (there are other sources of high-quality protein), meat consumption helps maintain muscle mass and prevent its loss as we age.
Contraindications to meat consumption
Despite its benefits, and as with everything, meat is also associated with disadvantages. These may be of a personal nature (not all metabolisms are the same), of an ethical nature or due to excessive consumption.
In this section we are only going to focus on the latter, to keep the general character. And that is, if we exceed the recommended doses we were talking about, we can encounter problems such as:
- Increases the likelihood of cancer. According to the latest scientific evidence, excessive consumption of red and processed meat is associated with a higher risk of cancer, especially colorectal cancer.
- It is associated with heart disease. Excessive consumption of it has also been linked to an increased risk of heart disease due to its high saturated fat and cholesterol content, although the topic of cholesterol is also changing in light of the evidence.
- Excessive consumption of red and processed meat has been linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes related to fat metabolism.
- Although not common, excessive meat consumption can be associated with various kidney diseases or their worsening, as it can increase the workload of the kidneys.
- Of course, excessive consumption, especially of processed meats, is associated with weight gain and the onset of obesity.
What type of meat is healthier?
Indeed, not all meats are equally healthy. There is a substantial difference between white and red meats, or between processed and unprocessed meats. This is due to the composition and bioavailability of these components in the food. If it has more fat, the type of fat or if it contains other components are usually determining factors. Thus, from the healthiest meat to the least, we find:
- Chicken and turkey meats (without the skin), which are a good source of protein and low in saturated fat, are the healthiest.
- Red or lean meats, with little fat, are also rich in protein and low in fat, although not as low in fat as poultry.
- Fatty meats, as their name suggests, also contain a lot of protein, but the amount of lipids, often saturated fats, make them very palatable and also less healthy.
- Processed meats (minced meat, sausages, cold cuts) are by far the least healthy. Minimally processed meat (for example, just minced meat) can be of the same quality as its unprocessed version. However, they usually contain other products or a composition that ensures that they are more appetizing and also much less healthy.
It is important to note that the method of preparation can also affect the health of the meat. Grilled, smoked or fried meats can contain harmful chemical compounds and increase the risk of chronic diseases. Therefore, it is advisable to cook meat in the oven or on the grill, for example.
Red meat, is it bad or carcinogenic?
The meat itself is not carcinogenic. However, its processing in our body can cause substances or metabolic reactions that lead to the appearance of cancer. For several years now, there has been a significant amount of scientific evidence suggesting that excessive consumption of red meat, especially processed meat (such as hamburgers, sausages or cold cuts), is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer in particular, and other types in general.
A report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO), classifies processed meat as being in group 2A, substances that are “probably carcinogenic” to humans. This means that there is sufficient scientific evidence that consuming it may increase the risk of developing the disease.
On the other hand, studies suggest that each 50-gram daily portion of processed meat consumed could be associated with an 18% increase in the risk of colorectal cancer. These are just numbers, and should not be assumed to be a specific fact that always holds true. However, it does serve to call for caution and to follow the suggested recommendations of limiting meat consumption. Other studies have found similar associations between the consumption of red and processed meat and an increased risk of other types of cancer, such as stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer.
How many times can you eat beef (red meat) a week?
Following the weekly recommendations we started with, you could eat red meat every day, consuming about 70 g of meat per day. However, it is recommended not to eat it more than two or three times a week, which helps to maintain the recommended amount satisfactorily.
More care must be taken with processed and ultra-processed meats, which should be reduced as much as possible or eliminated from the diet even though recommendations indicate no more than 500 g per week.
How many times can you eat pork or chicken (white meat) a week?
There is much greater laxity regarding this type of food. For example, the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC) recommends eating white meat, such as chicken or turkey, 3 to 4 times a week, and the WHO has no specific recommendations regarding its consumption. However, it is advisable to choose lean meats, without skin and prepared without saturated fats to preserve their healthy properties.