Thanks to researchers from Loma Linda University, we now have new insight on the potential risks of including even low amounts of red meat in our diets. For this report, researchers used data from the esteemed 7^th Day Adventist Study. This study includes about 96,000 Seventh Day Adventist men and women. They are a unique cohort to study because 50 percent are vegetarian, while 90 percent of the remaining 50 percent consume low to very low amounts of red meat (two ounces or less per day).

After looking at the deaths of over 7,900 Adventist study subjects over an 11-year period—those who consumed even small amounts of red meat had a higher risk of death from all causes as well as cardiovascular disease relative to those who never consumed red meat.

Take home message: Reduce your intake of red meat by substituting seafood, poultry, and particularly plant-based proteins like beans, nuts, and seeds. And when you do consume red meat, choose grass fed.

 Click here to see the list of potentially harmful agents conventionally raised red meat can harbor.