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Banned
Eat Less Red Meat, Scientists Said. Now Some Believe That Was Bad Advice. (Published 2019)
The evidence is too weak to justify telling individuals to eat less beef and pork, according to new research. The findings “erode public trust,” critics said.
www.nytimes.com
[O]n Monday, in a remarkable turnabout, an international collaboration of researchers produced a series of analyses concluding that the advice, a bedrock of almost all dietary guidelines, is not backed by good scientific evidence.
If there are health benefits from eating less beef and pork, they are small, the researchers said. Indeed, the advantages are so faint that they can be discerned only when looking at large populations, the scientists said, and are not sufficient to tell individuals to change their meat-eating habits.
And of course, the new findings are going over well:
The new studies were met with indignation by nutrition researchers who have long said that red meat and processed meats contribute to the risk of heart disease and cancer.
“Irresponsible and unethical,” said Dr. Hu, of Harvard, in a commentary published online with his colleagues. Studies of red meat as a health hazard may have been problematic, he said, but the consistency of the conclusions over years gives them credibility.
Nutrition studies, he added, should not be held to the same rigid standards as studies of experimental drugs.
"Stop confusing me with the facts!"
BRB eating a whole brisket
The article claims no outside funding was involved: "The investigators reported no conflicts of interest and did the studies without outside funding." You can see funding disclosures on the study page.
There's a confusing bit in the article: "Dr. Allison has received research funding from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a lobbying group for meat producers." I think Dr. Allison is just somebody commenting on the study, not involved in the research; but it's unclear.
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