Blog #8: Studies warn of red meat, sugary drinks

People around the world consume a lot of meat—especially red meat. New studies from the Harvard School of Public Health stated that consuming red meat is linked to many health problems including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. I can also shorten a person’s lifespan and that cutting back on red meat by a serving a day could lower the risk of dying. The study found that people who ate more than two 3-ounce servings a day had about 30% greater risk of dying compared to those who ate about one to two servings per week. Some red meats may include bacon, salami, hot dogs, and sausages.

Another study that the same group of researchers found is that drinking sugary drinks can lead to a higher rate of heart disease. Those who drink more than six servings a day of sugary drinks had a 20% greater risk of having a heart attack over 22 years. Sugary drinks can include soda, fruit juice, and sport drinks. Drinking these types of drinks can contribute to hundreds of calories a day to the diet which can lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. People who drink lots of sugary drinks also had higher levels of triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol.

The reason why so many people consume high levels of red meat could be that it keeps a person feeling full for longer periods of time. Also, it is more readily available. There are some alternatives to red meat that can keep a person feeling full and also have added protein. Some of these things include beans, tofu, fish, white meat chicken, etc. If people can cut back a little bit of red meat daily, it will make a big difference in their health.

Drinking sugary drinks can be a habit for some people. It is hard to cut back on soda if you’re already a daily drinker. Cutting back slowly can help. Another way is to drink artificially sweetened water such as Crystal Light. This is not just a problem in America. Countries around the world have soda and they are all following the trend of drinking soda daily. This is unhealthy and causes many problems. Some countries do not know of these health problems associated with red meat and soda, so teaching children in schools can help. 

http://articles.boston.com/2012-03-13/nation/31150606_1_red-meat-meat-study-heart-disease/2