A new, comprehensive global study challenges the perception that eating meat is universally harmful, instead highlighting the potential benefits it an offer to overall health and life expectancy.

Led by Dr. Wenpeng You, a biomedicine researcher at the University of Adelaide, the study delves into the long-standing question of whether meat consumption has been unfairly stigmatized in health discourse. Dr. You emphasizes that humans have evolved and thrived for millions of years due to their significant consumption of meat. The goal was to address the complex and often misleading conclusions that arise from studying the correlations between meat consumption, health, and life expectancy within specific groups or regions.

The study, published in the International Journal of General Medicine, presents a comprehensive examination of the health implications of total meat consumption in over 170 countries worldwide. Contrary to prevailing notions, the research team found that greater life expectancy is correlated with total meat consumption, even when accounting for factors like total calorie intake, economic prosperity, urbanization advantages, and obesity rates. Surprisingly, the consumption of energy from carbohydrate crops like grains and tubers did not translate to greater life expectancy.

Emeritus Professor Maciej Henneberg, a senior author of the study, emphasizes the deep-rooted relationship between humans and meat consumption over millions of years of evolution. He notes that the optimal nutrition provided by meat from various animal sources played a pivotal role in the genetic, physiological, and morphological adaptations that enabled our ancestors to thrive.

The study acknowledges the varied perspectives on meat consumption, noting that some studies in developed countries have associated vegetarian and vegan diets with improved health outcomes. However, the researchers argue that this doesn't necessarily negate the potential benefits of meat consumption. Nutritionist Yanfei Ge highlights the point that individuals in affluent, highly educated communities who opt for plant-based diets often replicate the nutritional components found in meat through careful dietary choices.

Dr. Renata Henneberg, a biologist at the University of Adelaide, underscores the historical significance of meat as a staple food in human diets before the advent of agriculture. She clarifies that the role of meat in human health management varies depending on the specific groups and meat types studied. Nevertheless, the study's comprehensive analysis indicates a consistent positive correlation between meat consumption and overall health at a population level.

Anthropologist and co-author Dr. Arthur Saniotis concurs with the findings, highlighting the nutritional superiority of meat compared to cereal-based foods. Dr. Saniotis stresses that beyond calorie count, meat contains vital components that contribute to overall health. The study's conclusion is clear: moderate meat consumption can be beneficial to human health, especially if the meat industry operates ethically.