Red meat is a quintessential staple of the American diet.
Steak is still on the menu in many places.
Read on to learn more about why you should ditch burgers and bacon in 2019.

And yes, this is something red meat lovers need to be aware of, according toDr.
Sarah Hull, a cardiologist at Yale Medicine.
“Consumption ofredmeat(especially in processed forms) is linked to a number of health problems.”

Eek, that doesnotsound good!
Specifically, one of those health problems is cancer, especially colorectal cancer, according to astudyinOncology Reviews.
Is mowing down a steak really worth it in the face of that fact?

In addition to Dr. Well, the answer just might surprise you.
“Nuts, beans, legumes, and soy are excellent sources of plant-based protein, for example.”
So you really don’t need to eat any meatat allto get your required protein who knew?

“As an alternative, fish is a great source ofheart healthyunsaturated fats,” she explained.
Sounds like a win-win!
Poultry and eggs are another viable option for a healthy diet, according toHarvard Medical School.

So there’s no reason to rely on red meat for protein, unless instructed by your doctor.
It’s high in saturated fat
Butter.
What do all these foods have in common?

Is there anything better than a bacon cheeseburger when you’re starving at the end of the workday?
Certainly there are better ways to spend your time!
But red meat is definitely a repeat offender.

To that end, you want to avoid high-cholesterol foods, especially if you already have high cholesterol.
So, is that a concern for carnivorous folks?
First of all, the livestock industry is nothing short of enormous.

That sure sounds like a good start!
But even then, nuts only require a fraction of the water that beef does, which is significant.
There are cheaper alternatives
There are few people who don’t enjoy saving money at the supermarket.

So you’re not just seeing financial savings, but you’re also reaping nutritional rewards.
Is there anything more patriotic?
Yikes, are hot dogs really that deadly?

Those are some sobering statistics, y’all.
Can the bad news stop coming in, hey?
Study co-author Dr. Woon-Puay Koh, from the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singaporehad some ideasto decrease risk.

This advice is starting to sound a bit like a broken record.
According toThe Guardian, industrially-farmed pigs spend their entire lives indoors.
That doesn’t sound very comfortable.

You might dodge diverticulitis
If you’ve never heard of diverticulitis, consider yourself lucky.
It’s what happens when the sacs that can line your colon walls, called diverticula, become inflamed.
That’sdefinitelynot something that anyone wants to deal with.

And, of course, eating plenty of fiber can help!
you could have red meat, too, just not often once in a while is recommended.
Plus, despite the fact that eating red meat can be risky, it does have some advantages.

“Red meat provides a source of protein,” registered dietician Rachel Fine toldThe List.
“It is also a source of iron, which can help to prevent anemia.”
We’ll take all the good news we can get!
