Red Meat

Red meat in traditional culinary terminology is meat which is red when raw and not white when cooked. Red meat includes the meat of most adult mammals. Red meat is darker colored meat, as contrasted with white meat. The exact definition varies by time, place, and culture, but the meat of adult mammals such as cows, sheep and horses is invariably considered red, while chicken and rabbit are invariably considered white. The American Institute for Cancer Research and World Cancer Research Fund stated in their report “Food Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective” that there is “ convincing” evidence that red meat intake increases the risk for colorectal cancer, and that there is “suggestive” evidence that it increases the risk of lung, pancreatic and endometrial cancer. Red meat consumption is associated with cardiovascular diseases, possibly because of its high content of saturated fat. It has been proven that increased beef intake is associated with fatal ischemic heart disease.