Based on a study of nearly half a million people followed for eight years,

higher consumption of unprocessed red meat and processed meat was associated with higher

risks of the number one killer of men and women heart disease, as well as pneumonia,

diverticular disease, out-pouchings of the colon

wall, colon polyps, and diabetes.

Higher poultry intake was associated with higher risk of gastroasophageal reflux disease,

acid reflux, gastritis and duodenitis, which is inflammation of the stomach lining

and intestines, as well as diverticular disease

of the colon, gallbladder disease, and diabetes.

And all these were after taking into account a vast array of other factors, including

age, sex, class, education, employment, smoking, exercise, even dietary factors like total

fruit and vegetable intake, and how much fiber they

may be getting from whole grains, for instance, to help account for dietary quality.

So the higher rates of disease really did seem to be linked to the amount of meat they were eating

instead of other factors.

The researchers even adjusted for BMI, meaning it wasn't just because those eating meat tended

to be heavier.

The bottom line is that higher consumption of meat, including chicken,

is associated with higher risks of several common disease conditions.

But higher meat consumption was significantly associated with lower risk of one condition,

iron deficiency anemia.

In a previous video, I talked about how vegetarians might be right in the ferritin sweet spot,

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