Hamilton researchers find link between processed meat and heart disease
A study led by Hamilton-based researchers has found a link between the consumption of processed meat and heart disease.
The study was conducted globally, and was co-led by two McMaster University professors, Mahshid Dehgan and Salim Yusuf. The researchers studied the diets of more than 134,000 people from 21 countries , following them for over a decade. The study, dubbed the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology study (PURE), found that those who ate more than 150 grams of processed meat per week had a 46 per cent higher chance of developing heart disease. They were also found to have a 51 per cent higher chance of dying as a result when compared with people who ate no processed meat. The PURE study found no link between moderate levels of consumption" of non-processed meats like red meat and poultry and heart disease.
The totality of the available data indicates that consuming a modest amount of unprocessed meat as part of a healthy dietary pattern is unlikely to be harmful," said Dehgan in a release, who is the investigator for the Population Health Research Institute of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences. The institute is a multinational group of researchers and physicians that conducts a number of large-scale studies on illnesses such as cancer, kidney disease, and cardiovascular diseases.
According to a press release, the PURE study is the first multinational study of its kind. Participants of the study filled out questionnaires that documented their food intake. Researchers also kept track of major cardiovascular events in the lives of the participants, and documented whether and when these participants died.
The PURE study examines substantially more diverse populations and broad patterns of diet, enabling us to provide new evidence that distinguishes between the effects of processed and unprocessed meats," said Yusuf in a release, who is the executive director of the Population Health Research Institute.
While the study was not able to produce a conclusive link between the consumption of non-processed meats and heart disease, the authors of the study acknowledged in a press release that there were gaps in their research, including a lack of information on what the participants ate other than meat. However, the authors also said their findings show that limiting the amount of processed meat one eats should be encouraged."
KC Hoard writes about arts and lifestyle for The Hamilton Spectator. Reach him via mail: kchoard@thespec.com