Red Meat

Many Americans have come to think of pork as "the other white meat," thanks to a long-running pork industry campaign. But a recent study linking red meat consumption to an overall increased risk of death lumped pork in with red meat. So what is pork -- red meat or white? Does it matter? Since 1934, the unabridged version of Webster's dictionary includes under "white meat" the phrase, "a meat (as veal or pork), light in color, esp.

The long-established link between red meat consumption and heart disease may have less to do with the fat in the meat than many have assumed, researchers said Sunday.  Writing in the journal Nature Medicine , a team led by Dr. Stanley Hazen of the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland pointed instead to the nutrient L- carnitine -- a substance involved in the digestion of fat and also a popular dietary supplement -- as a key artery-hardening culprit. ...

Another study has found an association between eating meat and premature death, this time linking the consumption of bacon, sausage and other processed meats with cardiovascular disease and cancer in a study of nearly a half-million Europeans. "Overall, we estimate that 3% of premature deaths each year could be prevented if people ate less than 20 grams processed meat per day," Sabine Rohrmann of the University of Zurich, who led the study, said in a statement. (Twenty grams is about 0.7 ounces; a hot dog comes in at  50 to 70 grams or more, depending on the brand, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture website.)

Another study has found an association between eating meat and premature death, this time linking the consumption of bacon, sausage and other processed meats with cardiovascular disease and cancer in a study of nearly a half-million Europeans. "Overall, we estimate that 3% of premature deaths each year could be prevented if people ate less than 20 grams processed meat per day," Sabine Rohrmann of the University of Zurich, who led the study, said in a statement. (Twenty grams is about 0.7 ounces; a hot dog comes in at  50 to 70 grams or more, depending on the brand, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture website.)

Dr. Walter Willett is the chair of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. He's also a cow's best friend. Earlier this month, Willett and colleagues, who have studied the link between diet and health for decades, published a study that followed more than 100,000 people over more than 20 years - and found that the amount of red meat they ate was linked to a rise in risk of premature death. The notion that red meat might not be so great for you isn't exactly new, but carnivores cried foul.

On Monday, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health released study results showing that red meat consumption was associated with a higher risk of early death. The more red meat -- beef, pork or lamb, for the purposes of the research -- study participants reported they ate, the more likely they were to die during the period of time that data collection took place (more than 20 years). So what is it in red meat that might make it unhealthy?   No one is sure, exactly, but the authors of the Harvard study mention a few possible culprits in their paper in the Archives of Internal Medicine .   First, eating red meat has been linked to the incidence of heart disease.  The saturated fat and cholesterol in beef, pork and lamb are believed to play a role in the risk of coronary heart disease .  The type of iron found in red meat, known as heme iron, has also been linked to heart attacks and fatal heart disease.  Sodium in processed meats may increase blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease. Other chemicals that are used in processed meats may play a role in heart disease as well, by damaging blood vessels.

For any gourmand who has ever wondered why certain wines pair so well with a hearty steak, or how a palate-cleansing sorbet works its magic between courses, science has an answer now. Oral astringents -- substances that elicit a "rough" or "dry" taste, such as high-tannin wines -- occupy the exact opposite end of a taste spectrum relative to substances with fatty, or "slippery" qualities, such as steak, according to a study published Monday in...

The American Meat Institute has weighed in on a study published this week about eating red meat, and it objects to the study's methods and conclusions. Researchers using data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer of 449,000 people said that 3.3% of premature deaths could be prevented if the consumption of processed red meat -- sausages and bacon, for instance -- was below 20 grams per day. But Betsy Booren, chief scientist at the American Meat Institute Foundation, issued a statement saying the study is “trying to identify a cause and effect relationship using a research approach that won't permit such conclusions to be made.” She criticized as unreliable data that come from participants trying to remember what they ate in the past.

On Monday, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health released a study that linked red meat consumption with increased risk of early death. Probably not surprisingly, the report , which was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine along with the editorial “ Holy Cow! What's Good For You Is Good For Our Planet ” from Dr. Dean Ornish (the man who helped convince Bill Clinton to go vegan ), attracted a lot of interest.  The American Meat Institute was among the first to dispute the findings.  In a statement issued Monday, the industry group criticized the Harvard study for “relying on notoriously unreliable self-reporting about what was eaten and obtuse methods to apply statistical analysis to the data.” During an interview last week with The Times, Kaiser Permanente cancer researcher Lawrence H. Kushi - who was not involved with the Harvard study but said the work produced “important results" - acknowledged that epidemiological studies of survey data aren't as rigorous as a blinded, randomized trial.

The long-established link between red meat consumption and heart disease may have less to do with the fat in the meat than many have assumed, researchers said Sunday.  Writing in the journal Nature Medicine , a team led by Dr. Stanley Hazen of the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland pointed instead to the nutrient L- carnitine -- a substance involved in the digestion of fat and also a popular dietary supplement -- as a key artery-hardening culprit. ...

The American Meat Institute has weighed in on a study published this week about eating red meat, and it objects to the study's methods and conclusions. Researchers using data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer of 449,000 people said that 3.3% of premature deaths could be prevented if the consumption of processed red meat -- sausages and bacon, for instance -- was below 20 grams per day. But Betsy Booren, chief scientist at the American Meat Institute Foundation, issued a statement saying the study is “trying to identify a cause and effect relationship using a research approach that won't permit such conclusions to be made.” She criticized as unreliable data that come from participants trying to remember what they ate in the past.

The risks of bad behaviors are well known but not necessarily well understood. Most people are aware that binging on red meat, cigarettes and whiskey on a regular basis isn't good for us -- but how to make sense of the severity of the risk?  When a study reports that adults who ate an extra portion of red meat had a 13% greater chance of dying over the course of a study that spanned more than 20 years, what does that really mean? And what is a sensible person to do about it? Writing in the journal BMJ (subscription required)

For any gourmand who has ever wondered why certain wines pair so well with a hearty steak, or how a palate-cleansing sorbet works its magic between courses, science has an answer now. Oral astringents -- substances that elicit a "rough" or "dry" taste, such as high-tannin wines -- occupy the exact opposite end of a taste spectrum relative to substances with fatty, or "slippery" qualities, such as steak, according to a study published Monday in...

Was it the natural tendency of old campaigners to play it safe in the opening quarter? Or the tendency of longtime adversaries to score points off each other rather than illuminate their differences? Or was it that the issues on which the presidential campaign will turn are so complicated - the economy, taxation, healthcare - that it's a challenge for anyone to make them accessible for average listeners? Whatever the reason, Wednesday night's initial debate between President Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, provided red meat for wonks, but perhaps not so much for voters.

The cross-country spat between California Gov. Jerry Brown and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie briefly stepped back into the spotlight Sunday, with Brown reiterating his invitation for a gubernatorial gauntlet of physical challenges. Christie sparked the repartee between the two by calling Brown “an old retread” during the Republican National Convention, pointing out to California delegates that he was just 14 years old when Brown challenged incumbent Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Democratic presidential primary.

LOMPOC, Calif. - A new beef vendor at the Santa Monica farmers market, Rancho San Julian is very likely the oldest continuously operated family farm in California, dating to 1816, when José de la Guerra began to raise meat for the presidio at Santa Barbara. In 1837, the governor of Alta California granted him title to the ranch, which has remained in his family for nine generations. It currently extends over 13,000 acres of grasslands and oak forest, roamed by cougars, bears and hawks, and home to 500 Angus cows and their calves.

Since pork producers are successfully marketing their product as "the other white meat," duck producers might do well to launch a campaign for "the other red meat." The resemblance to flank steak, for example, isn't obvious when duck is served whole. But sliced duck breast, fanned out on a plate, is very appealingly meaty-looking. When duck is well browned outside and rare at the center, it is every bit as succulent as a beef steak. Better supermarkets carry or will order duck breast.

Mitt Romney isn't a naturally eloquent man. His stump speeches are nearly content-free. They combine exaggerated denunciations of President Obama ("a pessimistic president," "the great complainer") and ardent professions of patriotism. "I love our country," Romney announces at every stop. "I love our national anthem.... I love it dearly. I love putting my hand over my heart. " He often closes speeches by reciting lines from "America the Beautiful. " When he claimed victory in Iowa on Jan. 3, his syntax crumbled into Sarah Palin-like fragments.

Dr. Walter Willett is the chair of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. He's also a cow's best friend. Earlier this month, Willett and colleagues, who have studied the link between diet and health for decades, published a study that followed more than 100,000 people over more than 20 years - and found that the amount of red meat they ate was linked to a rise in risk of premature death. The notion that red meat might not be so great for you isn't exactly new, but carnivores cried foul.

Science wins out Re " F. Sherwood Rowland, 1927-2012: Nobel winner tied ozone damage to use of CFCs ," Obituary, March 12 Some years ago, at the height of the anti-ozone-depletion-science political cartoon frenzy, Sherwood and Joan Rowland were attending an event for the conservation group Friends of Harbors, Beaches and Parks. I asked the always approachable, gentlemanly Sherry if the rash of mostly unfriendly cartoons in newspapers and magazines bothered him. He smiled and said he understood the alarm his research caused, adding that he collected the cartoons sent to him by friends around the world.