Researchers have found that consuming a lot of red meat, especially unprocessed ones, increases risks of diverticulitis, a common inflammatory bowel condition. They also discovered, however, that swapping just one meat portion a day for chicken or fish can reduce the risk of developing diverticulitis.
For a study published in the journal Gut, researchers worked with almost 46,500 men between the ages of 40 and 75 at the time they signed up from 1986 to 2012. All the participants were a part of the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and were asked every four years to describe how often they ate standard-sized portions of red meat, chicken, and fish, on average, over the course of the past year.
Across the 26-year period of the study, 764 men were diagnosed with diverticulitis.
Based on the researchers' findings, those who typically ate more red meat had the tendency to more often use common anti-inflammatory medication and painkillers, smoke more, do vigorous exercise less, and have lower fiber intake.
On the other hand, those who usually ate more chicken and fish were likelier to take aspirin, smoke less, and engage in vigorous physical activity.
Still, after taking into account possibly influential factors, overall consumption of red meat was associated with higher risks of diverticulitis.
Red Meat And Diverticulitis Risk
The researchers associated the highest level of consuming red meat with 58 percent higher risks of developing diverticulitis, with every daily serving linked to an 18 percent risk increase. However, the highest risk level was recorded at six servings every week.
When one daily portion of red meat was substituted with chicken or fish, the researchers reported a 20-percent drop in diverticulitis risk.
These findings were not affected by age or weight.
How exactly the consumption of red meat influences risks of developing diverticulitis is unclear so the researchers are suggesting further studies. However, eating red meat has been linked with chemicals that cause inflammation, diabetes, and stroke or heart disease. It is also possible that red meat consumption interferes with gut bacteria, potentially altering immune response that impacts gut lining integrity.
Diverticulitis Prevalence
Occurring in the small bulges or pockets of the intestinal lining (diverticula), diverticulitis accounts for more than 200,000 hospital admissions each year in the United States, which translates to annual costs of $2 billion.
New cases are on the rise, especially in young people, and about 4 percent of those will lead to long-term or severe complications, like gut wall perforations, fistula (two hollow spaces abnormally connected), and abscesses. However, despite the condition's prevalence, not a lot is known about its causes, although it has been connected to obesity, physical inactivity, using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and smoking. Low fiber intake was also thought to play a role but not many other dietary factors were explored, prompting the researchers to carry out the study.
Yin Cao and colleagues warn the results of their work might not apply to women as they worked only with male participants. However, their findings still offer practical dietary guidance for people who are at risk of developing diverticulitis.
