The Study
Meat consumption and risk of 25 common conditions: outcome-wide analyses in 475,000 men and women in the UK Biobank study
This study looked at what people ate and then watched to see who got sick over many years. It found that people who ate more meat were more likely to get certain illnesses — but that doesn't mean meat made them sick. Maybe they also exercised less, ate more junk food, or were heavier — and those things could be the real reason.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
Scientists looked at what 475,000 people ate and what health problems they got over 8 years.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 572 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1These risks are small for individuals but could matter for large populations; BMI explains much of the increased risk, meaning being overweight may be the real issue, not meat itself.
- 2People who ate more red or processed meat had a 15% higher chance of heart disease and 30% higher chance of diabetes.
- 3People who ate more chicken had a 17% higher chance of heartburn and 14% higher chance of diabetes.
- 4But meat-eaters were less likely to be anemic.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
BMC Medicine
Year
2020
Authors
K. Papier, G. Fensom, A. Knuppel, P. Appleby, T. Tong, Julie A. Schmidt, R. Travis, T. Key, A. Perez‐Cornago
Related Content
Claims (6)
People who eat meat have health outcomes that are neither worse nor better than those who eat less meat, after accounting for differences in income, education, and daily habits.
Middle-aged adults who eat 30 grams more poultry meat per day have a 17% higher risk of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and a 14% higher risk of type 2 diabetes, partly because of higher body mass index, even after accounting for smoking and physical activity levels.
Middle-aged adults who eat more unprocessed red meat and processed meat have a higher rate of diverticular disease and colon polyps compared to those who eat less, even after accounting for fiber intake and physical activity, but part of this difference is linked to body weight.
Middle-aged adults who eat 70 grams of unprocessed red or processed meat per day have a 15% higher risk of ischaemic heart disease and a 30% higher risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those who eat less, and part of this increased risk is linked to higher body mass index.
Middle-aged adults who eat more unprocessed red meat and poultry have a 20% and 17% lower risk of iron deficiency anaemia, respectively.
Middle-aged adults who eat more unprocessed red meat and processed meat have a 31% higher rate of pneumonia compared to those who eat less, even after accounting for smoking and physical activity levels.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.