Red meat raises death risk, says study

People who eat more red or processed meat have a higher risk of death from all causes including cancer, while a higher consumption of white meat reduces such risks, a decade-long US study released on Monday found.

The joint study begun in 1995 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and seniors group AARP followed more than half a million men and women between age 50 and 71, who filled out a food frequency questionnaire estimating their intake of red and processed meats as well as white meats such as pork, chicken and turkey.

Over the study period, 47,976 men and 23,276 women died. The one fifth of men and women who ate the most red meat - a median of 62.5 grams per 1,000 calories per day - had a higher mortality rate than the one fifth who consumed the least - 9.8 grams per thousand calories, according to the report.