Red meat intake is positively associated with non-fatal acute myocardial infarction in the Costa Rica Heart Study

Diet-Attributable Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Acute Myocardial Infarction in Costa Rica Heart Study

Adopting sustainable dietary patterns is essential for planetary and human health. As data to address this issue are lacking in Latino populations, this study examined the association between diet-attributable greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) and myocardial infarction (MI) in a Costa Rica Heart Study. This analysis included 1817 cases of a first non-fatal acute MI during hospitalization and their matched population-based controls, by age, sex, and area of residence. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to quantify habitual dietary intake and diet-attributable GHGEs (kg CO2 equivalent (eq.)/year). Due to the matching design, conditional logistic regression was used. Red meat consumption contributed approximately 50% to the total diet-attributable GHGEs among both cases and controls. Higher diet-attributable GHGEs were associated with increased odds of acute MI. The odds of MI were 63% higher (OR = 1.63; 95% CI 1.20-2.21) among participants in the highest quintile (median diet-attributable GHGEs = 6247 kg CO2 eq./year) compared to the lowest quintile (median diet-attributable GHGEs = 2065 kg CO2 eq./year). An increasing linear trend in the odds of acute MI and diet-attributable GHGEs was detected (p-trend 0.0012). These findings highlight the importance of reducing red meat consumption to sustainably mitigate the incidence of MI and improve planetary health.

Poultry Consumption and Human Cardiometabolic Health-Related Outcomes: A Narrative Review

Poultry meats, in particular chicken, have high rates of consumption globally. Poultry is the most consumed type of meat in the United States (US), with chicken being the most common type of poultry consumed. The amounts of chicken and total poultry consumed in the US have more than tripled over the last six decades. This narrative review describes nutritional profiles of commonly consumed chicken/poultry products, consumption trends, and dietary recommendations in the US. Overviews of the scientific literature pertaining to associations between, and effects of consuming chicken/poultry on, body weight and body composition, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are provided. Limited evidence from randomized controlled trials indicates the consumption of lean unprocessed chicken as a primary dietary protein source has either beneficial or neutral effects on body weight and body composition and risk factors for CVD and T2DM. Apparently, zero randomized controlled feeding trials have specifically assessed the effects of consuming processed chicken/poultry on these health outcomes. Evidence from observational studies is less consistent, likely due to confounding factors such as a lack of a description of and distinctions among types of chicken/poultry products, amounts consumed, and cooking and preservation methods. New experimental and observational research on the impacts of consuming chicken/poultry, especially processed versions, on cardiometabolic health is sorely needed.

Red meat consumption, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

Observational studies show inconsistent associations of red meat consumption with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. Moreover, red meat consumption varies by sex and setting, however, whether the associations vary by sex and setting remains unclear.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to summarize the evidence concerning the associations of unprocessed and processed red meat consumption with CVD and its subtypes [coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and heart failure], type two diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and to assess differences by sex and setting (western vs. eastern, categorized based on dietary pattern and geographic region). Two researchers independently screened studies from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published by 30 June 2022. Forty-three observational studies (N = 4 462 810, 61.7% women) for CVD and 27 observational studies (N = 1 760 774, 64.4% women) for diabetes were included. Red meat consumption was positively associated with CVD [hazard ratio (HR) 1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05 to 1.16 for unprocessed red meat (per 100 g/day increment); 1.26, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.35 for processed red meat (per 50 g/day increment)], CVD subtypes, T2DM, and GDM. The associations with stroke and T2DM were higher in western settings, with no difference by sex.

CONCLUSION

Unprocessed and processed red meat consumption are both associated with higher risk of CVD, CVD subtypes, and diabetes, with a stronger association in western settings but no sex difference. Better understanding of the mechanisms is needed to facilitate improving cardiometabolic and planetary health.

Residual nitrite in processed meat products in Costa Rica: Method validation, long-term survey and intake estimations

Ingestion of high amounts of nitrite due processed meat consumption could produce negative effects in human health. Here, we investigate long-term residual sodium nitrite content in processed meat products in Costa Rica to provide the first estimations of nitrite daily intake. An extensively validated analytical procedure was applied for the long-term analysis of 1350 samples from 2014 to 2018. Mean residual sodium nitrite concentration was 76.5 mg kg^-1, ranging from < 11 to 278.0 mg kg^-1. Significant differences among product and meat types were found, but no temporal differences were observed. Nitrite daily intake was estimated in 0.0122 ± 0.0039 mg kg^-1 bw^-1 d^-1, which accounts for 17.4% of the acceptable daily intake (ADI). This information underlies the importance of studying residual nitrite kinetics in processed meat products as well as establishing long-term programs for the accurate estimation of nitrite daily intake rates.

Association between Different Animal Protein Sources and Liver Status in Obese Subjects with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Fatty Liver in Obesity (FLiO) Study

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Obesity and unhealthy dietary habits are described as risk factors for NAFLD. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the consumption of different animal protein sources and hepatic status in NAFLD adults. A total of 112 overweight/obese participants with NAFLD from Fatty Liver in Obesity (FLiO) study were evaluated at baseline. Diet, body composition, and biochemical variables were evaluated. Hepatic status was also assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging, ultrasonography, and elastography. Red meat consumption showed a positive relationship with liver iron content (r = 0.224; p = 0.021) and ferritin concentration (r = 0.196; p = 0.037). Processed meat consumption exhibited a positive association with liver iron content (r = 0.308; p = 0.001), which was also found in the quantile regression (β = 0.079; p = 0.028). Fish consumption was related with lower concentration of ferritin (r = -0.200; p = 0.034). This association was further evidenced in the regression model (β = -0.720; p = 0.033). These findings suggest that the consumption of different animal protein sources differentially impact on liver status in obese subjects with NAFLD, showing fish consumption as a healthier alternative for towards NAFLD features.

Meat as a Pharmakon: An Exploration of the Biosocial Complexities of Meat Consumption

In contemporary dietary advice, meat is depicted as a pharmakon: it is believed to either heal or poison the human body (and mind). Often, it also serves as a scapegoat for a wide range of public health issues and other societal problems. Related attitudes, practices, and beliefs pertain to a demarcated mode of thinking or episteme that is characteristic for the so-called post-domestic or industrialized societies. The latter are not only typified by an abundant yet largely concealed production of meat, but increasingly also by moral crisis and confusion about its nutritional meaning. For an improved appreciation of the ambiguous position of meat in human health and disease, as well as the concomitant scattering into different subject positions (e.g., the omnivore, flexitarian, vegetarian, vegan, permaculturalist, and carnivore position), an interdisciplinary approach is required. To this end, the current study tentatively combines food research with a selection of (post-structuralist) concepts from the humanities. The aim is to outline a historical and biosocial need for meat (as well as its rejection) and to analyze how its transformative effects have contributed to a polarized discourse on diet and well-being in academia and society at large. Excessive categorization (for instance with respect to meat's alleged naturalness, normalness, necessity, and niceness) and Manichean thinking in binary opposites are among the key factors that lead to impassioned yet often sterile debates between the advocates and adversaries of meat eating in a post-truth context.

Effects of processed red meat consumption on the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases among Korean adults: the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study

PURPOSE

Few studies have evaluated the effects of processed red meat (PRM) consumption on chronic disease risk, especially among low average PRM consumption populations. This study examined association between PRM intake and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidences in Korea.

METHODS

Participants (n = 10,030; aged 40-69 years) were recruited from the Ansan-Ansung cohort study, a subset of Korean Genome Epidemiology Study. Validated 103-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to assess dietary information, at baseline (2001-2002) and at second follow-up (2005-2006). T2DM and CVD incidences were identified using biennial questionnaire-based interview during a 10-year follow-up period. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to calculate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

Over the 10-year follow-up period, 668 and 493 incident cases of T2DM (62,130 person-years) and CVD (63,150 person-years), respectively, were documented. In crude models, comparing the highest and lowest levels of PRM intake, no significant association occurred with incident T2DM [HR, 95% CI (0.94, 0.76-1.17)], while significant association occurred with incident CVD (0.67, 0.51-0.88). However, in adjusted models, this association was no longer significant, showing HRs (95% CI) of PRM intake for T2DM and CVD of 1.07 (0.85-1.35) and 1.14 (0.85-1.55), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

PRM intake did not affect T2DM and CVD incidences among Korean middle-aged adults, although extremely low average consumption of PRM may explain the finding. Therefore, limiting PRM intake may not be a top priority for the prevention of chronic diseases in Korean population.