Heart Attack Grill Burgers Partially Redeemed

That hamburger from the Heart Attack Grill may not actually live up to its name according to a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). The study indicated that “eating processed meat, such as bacon, sausage or processed deli meats, was associated with a 42% higher risk of heart disease and a 19% higher risk of type 2 diabetes. In contrast, the researchers did not find any higher risk of heart disease or diabetes among individuals eating unprocessed red meat, such as from beef, pork, or lamb. This work is the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the worldwide evidence for how eating unprocessed red meat and processed meat relates to risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.”

“Although most dietary guidelines recommend reducing meat consumption, prior individual studies have shown mixed results for relationships between meat consumption and cardiovascular diseases and diabetes,” said Renata Micha, a research fellow in the department of epidemiology at HSPH and lead author of the study. “Most prior studies also did not separately consider the health effects of eating unprocessed red versus processed meats.”

Watch a video of Micha describing the findings.

According to a press release from HSPH, “The researchers defined unprocessed red meat as any unprocessed meat from beef, lamb or pork, excluding poultry. Processed meat was defined as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or with the addition of chemical preservatives; examples include bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs or processed deli or luncheon meats. Vegetable or seafood protein sources were not evaluated in these studies.

“The results showed that, on average, each 50 gram (1.8 oz) daily serving of processed meat (about 1-2 slices of deli meats or 1 hot dog) was associated with a 42% higher risk of developing heart disease and a 19% higher risk of developing diabetes. In contrast, eating unprocessed red meat was not associated with risk of developing heart disease or diabetes. Too few studies evaluated the relationship between eating meat and risk of stroke to enable the researchers to draw any conclusions.”

The researchers found that average nutrients in unprocessed red and processed meats in the U.S. contained similar average amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol. However, processed meats contained four times more sodium and 50% more nitrate preservatives, suggesting that differences in salt and preservatives, not fats might explain the higher risk of heart disease and diabetes seen in processed meats, but not with unprocessed red meats.

We previously carried items on the Heart Attack Grill on April 29, Attacking the Heart Attack Grill, May 2, Revisiting the Heart Attack Grill – Figuratively and May 3, Perhaps the final word on the Heart Attack Grill.

In all of these it was made clear that the portions served there are on the extreme side and not likely to be conducive to good health.

Tony