According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Chicken Council, every year the average American consumes more than 108 pounds of red meat (beef, lamb, veal and pork). That includes 64 pounds of pork as ribs, chops, bacon and in processed meats (often loaded with harmful additives). That’s a lot, but it’s less than in the 1970s. In 1971, the average was 149.6 pounds per person, per year. Unfortunately, red meat consumption has started climbing back up recently. That’s a serious problem, because red meat consumption threatens your health in ways you probably never imagined.
In a new 16-years-long observational study of more than 500,000 adults, researchers from the National Cancer Institute found that eating red and processed meats up the risk of dying from heart disease and cancer. But you probably already knew that (even if you ignore it!). That info has been in the news since a 2010 Harvard study nailed the red-meat-heart-disease connection and a 2015 study in The Lancet conducted by researchers from The International Agency for Research on Cancer pinned down the red-meat-cancer connection.
The new news? This latest research found that eating red meat also ups your risk of dying from respiratory diseases by more than 70 percent, and diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, infections, Alzheimer’s disease and stroke by more than 15 percent. It gets you coming and going. There’s no organ or system in your body that isn’t negatively impacted by eating red meat.
What accounts for this beefy roundup of health woes? The researchers conjecture that it’s related to two particularly damaging inflammatory triggers in red and processed meats: heme iron and nitrate/nitrite. Heme iron is associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. It’s also closely related to the metabolism of nitrate/nitrite (additives found in processed meats) and the formation of compounds that increase the risk of insulin resistance, coronary heart disease and cancer.
US Water Consumption At Lowest Level In More Than 45 Years Americans withdrew 322 billion gallons of water a day in 2015. This is down from 354 billion gallons per day in 2010.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGA), it’s the continuation of a “sharp but steady” downward trend.
The USGA tracks American water usage every five years. The dip in water usage was driven by a nearly 20 percent drop in consumption by power plants. Power plants account for about 40 percent of all American water usage. But individual consumers also played a role in this positive trend. The average per-capita water use dropped from 88 to 82 gallons per day.
Media: Wibbitz
Waving a white flag
If you give up red and processed meats, you still have some healthy animal protein options. White meats — chicken, turkey (always skinless, please) and fish like salmon and ocean trout — don’t seem to cause the health woes associated with eating red meats. In fact, the researchers found that folks who ate the most poultry and fish and dodged processed meats (including those that contained white meat) had a 25 percent reduction in their risk of all-cause mortality over the course of the study compared with folks who ate the least amount of white meats.
So where should you get your protein from? In addition to opting for two to four servings of fish such as salmon and trout weekly, and sticking with skinless poultry a couple of times a week (limit portions to 3-6 ounces), you can turn your attention to plant-based proteins that deliver all the muscle-building power you need, plus fiber and vitamins/minerals.
Conclusion: Eliminate red and processed meats from your diet, especially if you have heart disease or diabetes. Aim for seven to nine servings daily of fruits and veggies. Make sure to include beans, nuts and 100 percent whole grains. And embrace so-called white meats in moderation.
Planting a good idea
Consider trying Meatless Monday (the campaign is a joint effort of Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future and other public health and academic/medical organizations) to get in the swing of it. The rest of the week, you can dish up a tofu taco for Tuesday lunch or wild mushroom soup on Wednesday night, tempting tempeh Thursday morning — you get the idea.
For recipes to inspire and nutritional info that will convince you plants deliver what you need, check out sharecare.com. They have healthy recipes for everything from an avocado smoothie to easy vegetarian chili. Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials Recipes dish up grilled salmon and Thai Green Beans to live for! As you fight off that roster of serious health hazards, you’ll gain healthier digestion and clearer skin.
Q: I’m taking the serotonin-reuptake inhibitor sertraline (Zoloft) for depression. I feel so much better, and I assumed it was OK to keep taking my vitamins. But are there supplements I should watch out for?
Cecilia H., Ossining, N.Y.
A: Congrats on taking charge of your depression and feeling better. Yes, there are certain supplements that interfere with selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and with serotonin and noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) too.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter found in your gut, your blood and your nervous system. It’s considered a natural mood stabilizer. You probably weren’t getting the right balance, and the sertraline has helped you re-establish that! Since we don’t know your exact dosage or the supplements you are taking, we can’t directly answer your question. You should talk to your doctor about all the supplements and herbal preparations you may be using. When you do, here are some specifics to discuss:
Ask your doctor about the risks of taking St. John’s wort, garcinia cambogia, L-tryptophan (or 5-HTP) and SAMe (S-adenosyl-methionine) supplements with your antidepressant. Consumer Labs says they can increase your risk of experiencing serotonin syndrome. That’s when there’s an overabundance of serotonin in your system that triggers everything from goosebumps and shivering to muscle rigidity, diarrhea and heavy sweating. (If that happens, do not ever abruptly stop taking your SSRI or SNRI!)
Also ask about the potential benefits of these supplements: A study in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that omega-3 fish oil (specifically EPA) in combo with SSRIs caused a significant reduction in depressive symptoms. It also was true to a lesser extent for vitamin D and methylfolate, a form of folic acid.
Q: I was on a plane, and the person next to me was watching one of the latest action movies. I won’t single it out, but it was nonstop violence — and rated PG-13! How can this not negatively affect impressionable youngsters?
Jesse J., Sioux Falls, S.D.
A: The Motion Picture industry has eroded standards so that the PG-13 rating (parents strongly cautioned, for children under 13) means next to nothing. The Harvard School of Public Health warned that a “ratings creep” (it’s a voluntary system) has allowed more violent and sexually explicit content into films that are seen by young teens. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported that gun violence in PG-13-rated films has more than tripled since 1985. And public health and mental health experts agree that nonstop violence in films (and on TV and in video games) can make kids more aggressive and damage their emotional development. So our advice to parents:
Do diligent research when your teen wants to see a movie. Find out how much and what type of violence a film contains, and check out Common Sense Media (commonsensemedia.org). In its Parents’ Guide,it gives ratings for categories such as positive messages, positive role models, sex, violence, language, drinking, drugs and smoking.
Here’s a partial review of the Cohen Brothers’ adaptation of the Western “True Grit,” which is rated PG-13. CommonSense gave it an age 15+. They say: “impressive and forceful, but it’s also full of brutal (and sometimes bloody) gunfight sequences and other violent moments that aren’t appropriate for younger viewers … mature teens are likely to feel a kinship with the lead character, 14-year-old Mattie Ross. They might even learn from her adventure … lessons … dealing with loyalty, courage and determination.”
Ask around and find out what other parents have to say. If you’re not sure about the content, watch the movie first or watch with your youngster.
Talk to your kids about violence in the media. Help them evaluate what is gratuitous and reject its message. Remember, if teens want to see a movie, with all the streaming available these days, chances are they will, even if you say no. So be proactive and help them avoid the upsetting and mind-bending violence that’s out there.
Contact Drs. Oz and Roizen at sharecare.com.