Around 52 kilos per year. That is how much meat Germans eat on average, according to statistics from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture from 2023. At the same time, the topic of meat is becoming increasingly controversial in German society. While some are switching to a vegetarian or even vegan diet, others swear by sausage, schnitzel and the like every day.

The tone seems to have become harsher: arguments at barbecues with the family, anger at company parties and heated debates about the catering options at public festivals are now part of many people’s everyday lives. Emotions run high all too often on social media. But how unhealthy is daily meat consumption really? Here you can find an overview of the sober facts.

Cancer risk from meat consumption: degree of processing and frequency are crucial, according to researchers

Processed meat includes products that are preserved using methods such as salting, fermenting, smoking or curing. Examples of these are salami, ham or sausages. Scientists agree that these types of meat are carcinogenic and have classified them in Group 1, which means that they are classified as “carcinogenic”, as the consumer center explains. This classification only shows that there is sufficient evidence of a negative effect. However, the strength of this effect and thus the actual cancer risk are not specified by this classification.

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According to the consumer advice center, current studies assume that high consumption of processed meat is responsible for around 34,000 cancer deaths worldwide each year. Even the consumption of small amounts of processed meat has been proven to increase the risk of colon cancer. Processed meat has no nutritional advantages compared to red meat. Therefore, the WHOto reduce the consumption of such products as much as possible. A high consumption of unprocessed red meat is considered “probably carcinogenic”, as the consumer center reports.

According to the WHO, this is also about the likelihood of developing colon cancer. What many people don’t know is that with this type of cancer, prevention is absolutely crucial. According to the WHO, the weekly consumption of red meat should not exceed around 500 grams in terms of the risk of cancer. This amount refers to the cooked weight, which is between 700 and 750 grams when raw. According to the current state of scientific knowledge, white meat does not have any cancer-promoting effect, according to the German Nutrition Society (DGE).

Heart disease, diabetes, stroke: Health consequences of daily meat consumption

But eating large amounts of chicken or turkey can also be a health risk. In a Investigation In 2020, 165 meat samples from Europe’s three largest poultry meat companies were analyzed, and it turned out that every second sample contained antibiotic-resistant pathogens. The samples were taken from Lidl and Aldi’s product ranges as well as directly from the companies’ factory outlets. Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem worldwide.

In a US study, participants ate large amounts of red meat, white meat and vegetarian food every day for one month, such as CNN reported. Cholesterol levels were comparably high when red or white meat was consumed. In contrast, these levels were significantly lower when the participants consumed plant proteins. If cholesterol levels are too high, it is broken down in the liver or deposited in the blood vessels. Strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases become more likely.

According to the DGE, the amount of red meat consumed also increases the risk of diabetes mellitus type 2 and breast cancer. Animal foods in particular contain saturated fatty acids, which are bad for your health. Overall, saturated fatty acids should make up less than ten percent of the total daily energy intake, explains Austria’s health portal. This corresponds to a third of the energy supplied through fats. Saturated fatty acids can therefore have an adverse effect on blood lipid levels. In addition to the factors already mentioned, this can also lead to fatty liver inflammation – and in the worst case, cirrhosis.

No need to completely abstain: Meat can be healthy – in these quantities

Despite the health risks, meat is an excellent source of proteins with high biological value and provides numerous essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, selenium and B vitamins. Muscle tissue in particular contains around 22 percent protein, including many essential amino acids that the body cannot synthesize itself, according to the Pronova company health insurance fund. Pasture-raised beef even offers a favorable ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids and also contains more polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Compared to poultry, beef and pork are clearly superior in terms of nutritional balance. According to the health insurance company, pork provides significant amounts of vitamins B1 and B6, while beef is rich in iron, zinc and vitamin B12. The experts advise paying particular attention to the fat content when buying meat. Eating meat therefore makes sense, but not in large quantities every day.

Because the production of meat and sausage products also has a significant environmental impact compared to plant-based foods, the DEG recommends limiting meat and sausage consumption to a maximum of 300 grams per week. The British health service NHS is less strict and recommends not consuming more than 490 grams per week. Emily Gelsomin, nutrition specialist at the Harvard Medical Schoolhowever, stresses that it is important to focus more on things in everyday life that we eat too little of. People around the world who live longer than average have certain eating habits in common that we can learn from.

An editor wrote and/or optimized this article using partial AI language modeling. All information has been carefully reviewed.