Death link to too much red meat

Scientists have produced new evidence suggesting eating lots of red and processed meat damages health.
They found big meat eaters had a raised risk of death from all causes over a 10-year period.
In contrast, a higher intake of white meat was associated with a slightly reduced risk of death over the same period.
The US study, featured in Archives of Internal Medicine, was based on more than 500,000 people.

People eating the most meat were eating about 160g of red or processed meat per day - approximately a 6oz steak.
Those who ate the least were only getting about 25g per day - approximately a small rasher of bacon.

The researchers said cancer-causing compounds were formed during high-temperature cooking of meat.

Meat is a major source of saturated fat, which has been associated with breast and colorectal cancer.


Dr Mark Wahlqvist, a nutrition expert from Australia's Monash University, said eating small amounts of red meat - around 30g a day - provided a good source of key nutrients.
He said: "Fresh, lean red meat of these amounts is likely to be of more benefit than harm."

"No one's saying that people should avoid bacon or burgers completely, but evidence from large studies like this tells us that cutting down on these foods can reduce the risk of dying from cancer and other diseases."