Red meat puts on pressure
New research in the British Medical Journal suggests that eating red meat can increase blood pressure (BP). This study found that the different types of iron (haem iron and non-haem iron) have opposite effects on blood pressure; non-haem iron (mainly from plant foods) lowered blood pressure, whereas haem iron (from red meat) increased it. High blood pressure is linked to heart disease and stroke.
Tzoulaki et al., 2008. Relation of iron and red meat intake to blood pressure: cross sectional epidemiological study. British Medical Journal. 337 a258.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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