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New York-based integrative medicine pioneer, host of the Intelligent Medicine podcast, and ANH-USA President, Ron Hoffman, M.D., has challenged the widely-held premise put forward in a recently published study on low-inflammatory diets that red meat and saturated fat are pro-inflammatory. Dr. Hoffman argues that studies linking them to inflammation often overlook the fact that many meat eaters also consume high amounts of unhealthy foods and live sedentary lifestyles, both of which are major contributors to inflammation.
Red meat comes in different forms, and can have profoundly different effects on the body
Dr. Hoffman cites several studies that show no association between red meat or saturated fat and inflammation when factors like body mass index and exercise are considered. He also highlights the anti-inflammatory effects of full-fat dairy and the benefits of grass-fed meat, which is higher in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.
The real culprits behind inflammation, argues Dr. Hoffman, are sugar and refined carbohydrates, not red meat or saturated fat. He calls for a re-evaluation of the dietary guidelines that demonize meat and fat, and instead encourages a focus on reducing sugar and processed food intake.
As our Executive & Scientific Director, Rob Verkerk, PhD, made clear in his 2019 analysis of the Planetary Health Diet proposal by the EAT-Lancet Commission, it’s not the meat or the animal that’s the problem. It’s the production system that rears the animal and processes the meat before it’s eaten that’s the real issue, not to mention how the meat is cooked.
Read Dr. Hoffman’s full article.
