BRITAIN: Eating lots of red meat might increase the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, researchers said yesterday.
The researchers asked 88 patients with inflammatory arthritis, to complete food diaries and give details of past or present smoking habits. Many of them already had the full-blown condition. This information was compared with that obtained from 176 people without arthritis. Patients were far more likely to have been smokers, but after adjusting for this, those who ate most red meat had double the risk of developing arthritis. A higher level of protein intake from all foods was also associated with a higher risk.
But the researchers, who reported their findings in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism, said regularly eating red meat might only affect people with a predisposition to the condition. The same team have found that a low intake of vitamin C may be linked to the inflammatory arthritis, while other studies have suggested the dangers of coffee, the advantages of fish and reduction in risk for women who drink in moderation.
The Arthritis Research Campaign, which funds the Manchester University unit involved in the study, said: "We would suggest that as part of a healthy lifestyle, people should cut down the amount of red meat they eat."
- (Guardian Service)