A new study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology issues a warning that men who eat red meat six times a week are at an increased risk of diverticulitis, an inflammatory bowel disease.
Dr. Cao Ying (phonetic), a clinical and translational epidemiology expert at Harvard Medical School in the U.S., and her research team conducted a follow-up study on the red meat, poultry, and fish intake and the incidence of diverticulitis among approximately 47,000 men. Participants joined the study between 1986 and 2012, aged 40 to 75. They received follow-up surveys every four years, which covered their consumption of red meat (including processed meat), poultry, and fish in the previous year. Over the 26-year follow-up period, a total of 764 men were diagnosed with diverticulitis.
The study found that the higher the total intake of red meat, the greater the risk of developing diverticulitis. Compared to the group with the lowest red meat intake, participants with the highest intake had a 58% higher risk of diverticulitis. Additionally, each extra serving of red meat per day was associated with an 18% increase in the risk of diverticulitis. However, replacing red meat with fish or poultry could lower the risk by 20%.
Dr. Cao stated that the specific mechanism by which red meat increases the risk of diverticulitis requires further research. However, excessive consumption of red meat can elevate levels of inflammatory chemicals such as C-reactive protein and ferritin, increasing the risk of diseases like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Eating too much red meat might also disrupt the gut microbiota, affecting immune responses and the integrity of the intestinal lining.