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Australian experts back red meat for health - new report
October 2007
Research shows that up to a third of Australians1 are eating red meat less often than recommended, which according to a new scientific report released today, could be placing them at risk of a range of chronic health problems.
The new report titled The Role of Red Meat in Healthy Australian Diets contains a comprehensive Australian review of evidence relating to the role of red meat in a healthy diet. It shows that around one third of Australian children aged 2-3 do not get enough iron in their diets, as many as 25 percent of women have below recommended intake levels of vitamin B12 and that 46 percent of elderly people have below normal levels of zinc in their blood.
Supported by the Dietitians Association of Australia and the National Heart Foundation of Australia, the report was compiled by a group of eminent Australian public health and nutrition experts following extensive reviews of the latest scientific literature, and was launched in Sydney today by the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, the Honorable Tony Abbott MHR.
Published as a supplement to the September edition of Nutrition & Dietetics, the report also finds consuming lean red meat 3-4 times a week can reduce the risk of key nutrient deficiencies including iron, zinc and vitamin B12 deficiencies, all of which can compromise good health
Iron deficiency in children can lead to growth retardation, impaired immune function, irreversible behavioural and mental development delays and a decline in psychomotor development. Low iron intake in adults is associated with reduced work capacity, poor response to exercise and impaired immune function. Zinc and vitamin B12 are very important in maintaining a healthy immune system and nervous system respectively.
According to Professor Linda Tapsell, a member of the report’s Editorial Committee, red meat is a natural source of essential nutrients and forms an important part of a diet aimed at preventing chronic disease.
“Lean red meat is unique in that it not only provides iron and zinc in forms that are well absorbed by the body, but it also supplies vitamin B12 and long-chain omega-3s, two nutrients found naturally in only a limited number of foods. With so much food to choose from, there is comfort in knowing that red meat remains a core food in a healthy Australian cuisine,” Professor Tapsell said.
The report also states that a diet containing the recommended levels of lean red meat can help maintain a healthy weight, lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol.
According to Professor Ian Caterson, Boden Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Sydney, who chaired the committee responsible for the report, these findings confirm the important role of red meat in a healthy diet.
“Australians are increasingly overfed but can be "undernourished". On the one hand, we are eating too much which leads to obesity and type 2 diabetes. While on the other, our poor food choices are putting us at risk of nutritional deficiencies," Professor Caterson said.
“This is one of the major reasons for why the prevalence of obesity in Australia has more than doubled in the past 20 years and the rates of childhood obesity in Australia are at one of the highest among developed nations. There is clear evidence of a role for red meat in weight control diets. Not only is lean red meat nutrient-dense which helps to meet our requirements for key nutrients, even in low energy diets, it also helps to control appetite because it is more satiating than carbohydrate."
Executive Director, Dietitians Association of Australia, Ms Claire Hewat explained the report was a useful summary of the contribution of red meat to healthy eating and supports the Australian dietary guideline recommendations that lean red meat should be eaten 3-4 times a week or high iron replacement foods will be required.
“Lean red meat has an important role to play in the Australian diet as it is a rich source of some very important nutrients like iron, zinc and some B-group vitamins including vitamin B12. Contrary to popular belief it is not a major source of saturated fat or cholesterol in the diet,” Ms Hewat said.
On launching the report Mr Abbott commented on the significance of the publication for the health of all Australians.
1. Red meat consumption and attitudinal research, Millward Brown (2007)