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Major study reveals whether eating meat will help you live to 100
Americans are often told to cut down on steak consumption to avoid heart disease and diabetes.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands are still turning to veganism in the hope that it will help them live healthier and better lives.
But now a growing number of studies seem to reach the same consensus. Despite the anti-meat scare stories, eating meat makes you more likely to live longer. Specifically, you might have a better chance of living to 100.
The most recent paper that spoke to this conclusion studied the diets of 5,200 people — including 1,500 centenarians — from across China.
It found that those eating a more diverse weekly diet, including meat, were 23 percent more likely to become centenarians than their peers who ate one that was more restrictive.
It adds to other recent evidence, including one 2022 Australian paper on meat consumption and life expectancy by country, that found life expectancy is higher in nations that, on average, consume more meat.
The above graph shows how the number of centenarians in the US is projected to rise. This is amid improvements in diet, healthcare and other factors
Scientists identified a diverse diet as one of the factors behind a longer lifespan (stock)
About 81 percent of Americans are meat eaters, with meat considered a great source of both muscle-building protein and a host of other essential nutrients.
These include vitamin B12, which is not found in plants and is used by the body to help extract energy from food and keep our blood cells healthy.
Experts say meat is also a rich source of iron, which helps red blood cells carry oxygen around the body.
The USDA dietary guidelines recommend two to three servings of meat every day, with daily portions equivalent to a small steak or one chicken breast.
In the 2022 Australian study, researchers compared the life expectancy in 170 nations to the amount of meat consumed in the diet according to surveys.
Lead researcher Dr Arthur Saniotis, said: 'While this is no surprise to many of us, it still needs to be pointed out.
'It highlights that meat has its own components contributing to our overall health beyond just the number of calories consumed, and that without meat in our diet, we may not thrive.'
And, in another paper from 2015, researchers found that those living in a 'blue zone' — regions with an above-average number of centenarians — ate more meat than their coastal neighbours.
Meats are packed with protein and vital nutrients. But some studies have also linked them to a higher risk of conditions like heart disease and colon cancer
The study was based on the people who lived in Sardinia's mountainous blue zone, compared to the region's coastal areas.
And in a third meta-analysis from November last year, researchers found that people who had been vegetarian for 10 years had a 20 percent higher risk of death from any cause than those who ate meat.
Scientists do warn over the risks of excessive meat consumption — specifically red meat.
Previous studies have linked eating portions of red meat everyday to a higher risk of colon cancer, while separate papers have also linked eating red meat to a higher risk of heart disease and strokes.
Scientists say it is also important to consume vegetables and wholegrain carbohydrates because these contain fiber and essential nutrients for the body, such as magnesium — involved in muscle movements.
Many say that a balanced diet, including meat, fish, fruits and vegetables, is best for ensuring a long and healthy life.
In the Chinese study, published today in JAMA Network Open, scientists found those who ate the most diverse diets were more likely to live longer.
The study was based on data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey.
Participants were recruited in 1998 at the ages of 80 years or older and then surveyed every few years.
For the analysis, each centenarian in the database was matched to at least two people who had died before reaching centenarian status.
Participants were 94 years old on average, mostly women, and lived across almost all of China's provinces.
To measure dietary diversity, participants were quizzed on how often they ate nine food groups: cereal, vegetables, fruits, soybeans and its products, eggs, meat, fish, milk and dairy products and oil.
The results showed that those who ate all nine food groups at least weekly were more likely to live to 100.
The analysis also found that never smoking and exercising more made it more likely that someone would live to be a centenarian.
But that education, marital status and alcohol consumption in later life made little to no difference to how long someone lived.