ARGENTINA: A Harvard study linking red meat with increased mortality rates has Argentines questioning their beef heavy diet, though many say they are still not willing to give up their juicy steaks

Record ID: 446860

  • Title: ARGENTINA: A Harvard study linking red meat with increased mortality rates has Argentines questioning their beef heavy diet, though many say they are still not willing to give up their juicy steaks
  • Date: 14th March 2012
  • Summary: BUENOS AIRES PROVINCE, ARGENTINA ( SEPTEMBER 2010 FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF COWS FEEDING
  • Embargoed: 29th March 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina, Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: Health,Economy
  • Reuters ID: LVA95RKPE4IYH0MEXRLMME8F8KQI
  • Story Text: A new study by the Harvard School of Public Health linking the consumption of red meat to higher mortality risk has raised some eyebrows in beef crazed Argentina where juicy steaks are a staple part of most people's diets.
    During the lunch hour in downtown Buenos Aires, the air is filled with the aroma of succulent cuts of beef sizzling on massive Argentine style grills at neighbourhood "parrillas."
    Argentina is famous for its steak and beef is the central part of many peoples' diets here.
    But the Harvard study published Monday (March 12) in the Archives of Internal Medicine has at least some residents questioning the health risks associated with a diet centred on red meat.
    As a nutritionist at Argentina's Favaloro Foundation which specializes in cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, Doctor Cecilia Palermo said the recent study, as well as others pointing to the risks of red meat, doesn't mean Argentines have to completely cut beef from their diets, but suggested meat eaters consider the fat content of the cuts they choose.
    "I don't think it should mean that beef should be the big enemy in our diet which is why I always say, it is an element that is part of our diet and is very important in our culture and our habits and its there and it has to be there," Palermo said.
    Argentina is a net beef exporter and is renowned for its grass fed cattle which lends to leaner cuts which some experts say is healthier than fattier corn-fed cattle.
    But the study suggests substituting one serving of red meat - about the size of a deck of cards - a day with fish lowers the mortality rate by seven percent. Replacing red meat with low-fat dairy products led to a 10 percent drop while whole grains and poultry brought the mortality rate down 14 percent and nuts a whopping 19 percent.
    The two pronged study followed the eating habits of 37,698 men over 22 years and 83,644 women over 28 years.
    The researchers concluded that participants who consumed more red meat where substantially more likely to be associated with Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and some cancers and thus more likely to die over the course of the study.
    Palermo told Reuters leaner cuts of beef can also be healthy alternatives to fatty meats.
    "Meat with a high fat content is a harmful fat that can lead to the future development of cardiovascular illnesses. So what do we have to be clear about? The cuts of meat that we eat regularly have to be cuts that have less than five percent fat for every 100 grams of beef," Palermo said.
    Some residents like Berta Paz, say they are open to cutting their beef intake or opting for leaner cuts.
    "If it causes cancer or some kind of illness I wouldn't eat it," said Paz.
    But changing a culture of meat eating on a whole might prove difficult in a country that prides itself on its world-famous tender steaks.
    "In Argentina you're not going to take away the habits of eating beef. The typical Argentine is a meat eater because it is excellent. They can do the studies, but then we will see if the people change or enjoy it," said resident Hugo Ramon Castres.
    Another resident, Nicolas Gustavo Gomez agreed with Castres saying Argentines are not going to give up the Sunday tradition of a backyard "asado" with their families and friends.
    "People enjoy eating meat at barbecues with their families. We all eat meat; I think if it was bad for you there would be a lot of people with problems," Gomez told Reuters.
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