In women from Southern Italy, total red meat intake is not significantly associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), but specific preparations—red meat slices and red cutlets—are suggestively associated with reduced risk, while roast red meat is suggestively associated with increased risk, indicating that food preparation methods may differentially influence MASLD outcomes by sex.

When red meat is roasted, high heat creates harmful compounds that trigger liver inflammation and make the liver resistant to insulin, causing fat to build up inside liver cells. When red meat is sliced or made into cutlets, it is cooked more gently, producing fewer harmful compounds and allowing the liver to manage fat better. Women store fat under the skin instead of around the liver, which protects them from fat buildup even when they eat red meat, but the way the meat is cooked still affects their liver fat levels.