The Conversation

Your weekly dose of evidence

Not everyone wants to go vegan or even vegetarian, but many red meat eaters are keen to cut their intake, whether it’s to avoid the added cancer risk from eating large quantities of red and processed meat, or because of its environmental impact.

If you’re keen to cut down but are concerned about getting enough nutrients, Evangeline Mantzioris has you covered. She outlines the red meat substitutes that will leave you with the same levels of protein, iron and other important nutrients.

Another reason to cut down on red meat is to keep your cholesterol levels in check. So what should we make of recent headlines claiming white meat is as bad for our cholesterol as red meat?

As Clare Collins explains, the study looked at lean red and white meat and found the effects on cholesterol were the same. But plant protein sources were much better than either type of lean meat for lowering cholesterol.

Fron Jackson-Webb

Deputy Editor/Senior Health + Medicine Editor

The average Australian eats 81 grams of red meat a day, while the planetary diet recommends just 14g. Napocska/Shutterstock

How to get the nutrients you need without eating as much red meat

Evangeline Mantzioris, University of South Australia

Here's how to ensure you're still getting enough protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12 while cutting back on red meat.

Whether you’re eating red meat or white meat, a lean cut is the healthier way to go. From shutterstock.com

Research Check: is white meat as bad for your cholesterol levels as red meat?

Clare Collins, University of Newcastle

Researchers looked at whether it's better to eat red meat, poultry or plant protein sources for heart health. While a plant-based diet was the clear winner, red meat and white meat scored the same.

From the archives: red meat

Organic, grass fed and hormone-free: does this make red meat any healthier?

Leah Dowling, Swinburne University of Technology; Louise Dunn, Swinburne University of Technology

Farming methods may have a small impact on the nutritional profile of some red meats, but it's unlikely to make a difference to our health.

Should we eat red meat? The nutrition and the ethics

Rebecca Charlotte Reynolds, UNSW

The impacts of red meat production and consumption on human health, animal welfare and the environment are complex.

Raw meat pet food may not be good for your dog, or your own health

Bronwyn Orr, University of Sydney

Raw meat dog food products are growing in popularity. But a new study warns of the risks of bacterial contamination not only to your pet but also to yourself or others in your house.

Should lab-grown meat be labelled as meat when it’s available for sale?

Hope Johnson, Queensland University of Technology

Can you call it meat if it's been artificially produced? That's the question cattlemen in the US are asking, and something food regulators will have to grapple with soon when it coms to labelling.

Expert answers to serious, weird and wacky questions

Curious Kids: why do leeches suck our blood?

Mark Sandeman, Federation University Australia

The short answer is that leeches need blood to grow and reproduce. But it's in their interests to do it carefully, without causing too much pain, and in spots that are hard to find.

Does the sky protect the Earth and if yes, then how? Curious Kids

Lucy Carpenter, University of York

An expert explains all the wonderful ways the atmosphere protects life on Earth.

Top picks from the week

You might feel terrible. But your runny nose, sore throat and aches are signs your body is fighting the flu virus. And that’s a good thing. from www.shutterstock.com

Sick with the flu? Here’s why you feel so bad

Stephen Turner, Monash University

How can a tiny flu virus make you feel so bad, all over? Here's what's behind your high temperature, muscle aches and other flu symptoms.

People living in private rental housing were much more likely than social housing residents to say they felt lonely. Dundanim/Shutterstock

‘I really have thought this can’t go on’: loneliness looms for rising numbers of older private renters

Alan Morris, University of Technology Sydney; Andrea Verdasco, University of Technology Sydney

Increasing numbers of older Australians don't own their homes. Whether they are private renters or live in social housing can make a big difference to their risk of loneliness and anxiety.

Many instances of slavery or exploitation start with the promise of a reasonably paying job in Australia. Wes Mountain/The Conversation

Human trafficking and slavery still happen in Australia. This comic explains how

Jennifer Burn, University of Technology Sydney

While some may not believe slavery and human trafficking happen in Australia, the unpalatable truth is that they do. Here are four examples of what they can look like.

Biology and behaviour can explain why men tend to die younger than women. From shutterstock.com

Health Check: why do women live longer than men?

Melinda Martin-Khan, The University of Queensland

All around the world, women are living longer than men. While women are born with some early advantages, there are lifestyle factors that men can modify to improve their lot.

 

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