Is your health important to you? Then you need to STOP eating processed meat now. While red meat consumption is a good source of proteins, there are studies that have found some links between eating large amounts of red meat and various health issues.
In scientific studies, there are some inconsistencies associating meat consumption with the development of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. However, make no mistake about processed meats - there is clear evidence that eating processed meat in your diet is linked to coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
As already mentioned, while there are some health issues associated with eating red meat, it is by no means nearly as "bad" as eating processed meats. Exactly what are processed meats? Some examples of processed meats include ham, bacon, hot dogs, sausages, salami, pastrami, bratwursts, and certain types of minced meats. Eating these types of meats possess health risks to you.
In a recent study titled "red and processed meat consumption and risk of incident coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis", the researchers analyzed the relationship between red meat, processed meat, and total meat consumption with incidents of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. The 20 studies used in their review included 1,218,380 individuals and 23,889 CHD, 2280 stroke, and 10,797 diabetes mellitus cases. From their reviews, they found that red meat intake was not directly associated with coronary heart disease; however, processed meat intake was associated with 42% higher risk of coronary heart disease, and 19% higher risk of diabetes. [1] It is clear that consumption of processed meats can pose serious health risks.
Are you having second thoughts now about eating processed meats? I know I would.
On the other hand, there are many studies that have found numerous health benefits with eating a healthy vegetarian diet, or following a diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Some of the health benefits of consuming more fruits and vegetables include:
- health vegetarian foods reduce risks of hypertension
- vegetarian diets can help prevent childhood obesity
- vegetarian meals help reduce oxidative stress
- eating more fruits and vegetables can even help improve your mood!
- balanced vegetarian diet significantly lowers your risk for Alzheimer disease
- healthy vegetarian meals helps with the management of type 2 diabetes
Those are just a few of the many health benefits associated with following a vegetarian diet. Even better, vegetarian dishes can be easy to prepare and taste delicious. Quick and Easy Chinese Vegetarian Cooking shows you how to prepare and cook healthy, mouth-watering vegetarian dishes in just minutes. >> Improve your health! Click here to learn more about Quick and Easy Chinese Vegetarian Cooking
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