Red Meat Increases Inflammation, Glucose Imbalance in Women

A study appearing in the February 2014 issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined diabetes-free female participants in the Nurses’ Health Study for consumption total, unprocessed, and processed red meat intakes with plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, adiponectin, fasting insulin, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). All of these markers indicate glucose imbalance and inflammation.

Greater total, unprocessed, and processed red meat intakes were associated with detrimental effects on all plasma markers except adiponectin. The takeaway? If you eat red meat one or twice weekly maximum, and it is not a necessity, make sure it is grass-fed. Grass-fed beef greatly reduces the inflammatory properties because that fat has a higher omega-3 concentration.