Is Red Meat Good For You?

A story of heart disease, cancer, and the fascinating complexity of scientific evidence

Pictured: Safe, according to science. Maybe Source: Pexels

There’s something almost mythical in a perfect steak. While it seems like a very simple thing to do — throw a bit of meat on the grill, cook until done — there’s an art to getting steak right that takes the humble hunk of cow from a boring dish into a masterpiece of culinary skill.

There are few things better than a really well-cooked piece of red meat.

Pictured: Yum Source: Pexels

The problem is that the deliciousness of red meat has long been considered to be outweighed by its side-effects. Study after study has found that red meat is associated with poor health for any number of reasons — it may cause cancer, it’s associated with heart disease, and it could even cause diabetes. These findings have led to many guidelines recommending people eat a bit less red meat to improve their health.

But now, according to headlines from across the world, all of that has changed. A controversial new study has proven that actually there’s no evidence that eating red meat is bad for us, and that we can go ahead and gorge on steak and burgers once again.