What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Red Meat Daily

People have different opinions about how healthy it is to eat red meat every day. Red meat has some essential nutrients, but eating it often can have good and bad effects on the body. In this piece, we’ll look at what happens when you eat red meat every day, busting myths and giving you solid information about the pros and cons.

You Might Feel More Full

Red meat has a lot of protein, which can help you feel full. Protein takes longer to break down than carbs, keeping you full longer. Lean red meats like ground beef, top sirloin steak, and tenderloin are perfect for you because they are low in fat and calories but high in protein.

One example is a 4-ounce plate of grilled tenderloin steak with about 37 grams of protein. Adding this protein to your daily meals may help you avoid overeating, making it a good choice for people trying to control their hunger or gain muscle.

You can get stronger and better for your muscles

To build muscle, you need protein, and red meat is one of the best places to get it. About 37 grams of protein are in a 4-ounce dose of lean red meat, which helps muscles grow and fix themselves.

Because of this, it’s a great food choice for people who want to build strength, keep their muscle mass, or heal from physical activity. If you do a lot of strength training or resistance workouts, eating red meat regularly can help you meet your protein needs.

Your metabolic rate may get better

Also, red meat has a lot of vitamin B12, an essential nutrient that helps your body turn food into energy by speeding up your metabolism. Meat, eggs & cheese are some of the foods that are high in vitamin B12.

Getting enough B12 can give you more energy, speed up your metabolism, and make your nerves and brain work better. One of the best places to get this vital vitamin is lean red meat, especially beef liver and ground beef, which have more than 100% of the daily suggested amount in a single dose.

You could improve the health of your heart

Red meat has iron and vitamin B12, which are suitable for your heart and muscles but may also make you more likely to get heart disease. Higher cholesterol levels are linked to eating many processed and fatty red foods, such as bacon, sausages, and hot dogs.

This, in turn, raises the risk of heart disease. Slimmer cuts of red meat, like steak, on the other hand, can be good for you without as much risk. Red meat can be part of a heart-healthy diet, but only in small amounts and with more minor cuts.

You might have more energy

One of the most common vitamin shortages in the world is iron deficiency, which can cause anemia and make you tired and unmotivated. Heme iron is easier for the body to receive than non-heme iron from plants.

Red meat is an excellent source of heme iron. Iron shortage can be avoided or fixed by eating red meat daily, giving you more energy. But you should be careful about what kind of red meat you eat and avoid highly processed meats, which may be bad for your health.

You may be more likely to get cancer

One of the biggest worries about eating red meat every day is that it can raise your chance of getting some kinds of cancer, especially colon cancer.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that processed red foods can cause cancer and that eating them can make you more likely to get colon cancer.

A study in Cancer Discovery (2021) found a specific pattern of DNA damage in colon cancers linked to eating a lot of red & processed foods. Cut down on processed foods and eat lean cuts of raw red meat to lower your cancer risk.

You might make getting heart disease more likely

A higher chance of heart disease has been linked to eating processed and fatty red foods over and over again by research. A review by experts at the University of Oxford found that the chance of heart disease increases by 9–18% for every extra 50 grams of red or processed meat eaten daily.

High cholesterol & high blood pressure are major risk factors for heart disease. Fatty cuts and processed foods are high in these substances. Cutting back on these kinds of red foods can help lower this risk.

The Bottom Line

Adding red meat to your diet can help your health in many ways, like building muscle, speeding up your metabolism, and giving you more energy. However, balance is essential to avoid the risks of overconsumption, such as higher cancer and heart disease rates.

The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans say people should eat about 5 to 7 ounces of protein-rich foods daily. Lean cuts of red meat and plant-based protein sources like nuts, seeds, and beans are the best choices. You might also want to limit the amount of processed meat to lower the risk of harmful health effects.

A healthcare worker or certified dietitian can help you make a plan that fits your health goals if you need to figure out how much red meat you should eat. You can enjoy the health benefits of red meat without putting your long-term health at risk if you eat it along with other nutrient-dense foods.