Over the past few months, the pandemic has forced some meat factories to temporarily close, which has caused a break in the meat supply chain and could lead to a possible shortage. With higher meat prices and a shortened supply, some Americans could be cutting back on their meat intake, but the good news is that could be better for their health in the long run.
Rachel Hartley, a registered dietitian and nutritionist explains that research shows a flexitarian or semi-vegetarian diet has benefits including lower risk of type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer and lowered blood pressure. And these are a few reasons why a meat shortage could be good for your health.
- Red meat is high in fat, especially saturated fat- That can increase risk of high cholesterol and that can lead to heart disease.
- Eating a lot of red meat has been linked to developing type 2 diabetes-has found a link between type 2 diabetes and processed or red meat consumption.
- Some experts believe eating large amounts to red meat can increase cancer risk - Some have found a link between certain kinds of cancers and high red meat intake, including colon, prostate, kidney, and breast cancers.
- Processed meats have been linked to a higher risk of heart disease- A finds eating processed meat could increase heart disease risk by 42%.
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