Meat Consumption and Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) continue to be the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. It is widely recognized that diet plays a critical role in the development of CVD. While foods from animal sources contain important nutrients that may not be readily available from plant sources, high consumption of red meats has been shown to be associated with greater risk of morbidity and mortality from CVD. Such diets may contain high levels of total and saturated fats and cholesterol. In addition, accumulated evidence supports that fish or seafood consumption may have cardioprotective effects. Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are suggested to be the key nutrients responsible for the observed benefits of fish consumption on CVD. This article reviews current research on the associations of meat consumption – red meat, poultry, and fish – to CVD risk factors such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes, and to CVD morbidity and mortality. Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of diets high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish, and low in red meat, high-fat dairy products, and trans and saturated fats. Healthy lifestyle, including healthy diet, is the best strategy for prevention of CVD and other diseases.