Red meat – such as pork, beef, lamb and goat – can be an important part of a healthy diet as it is a good source of protein, iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and other important nutrients. 

However, this is mostly the case if the meat is unprocessed and consumed in moderate amounts. There are a couple of key health concerns when it comes to the consumption of red meat:

1. Red meat, and especially animal fat, is high in saturated fat, which can increase cholesterol levels and, in turn, put someone at risk of hypertension. 
2. Red meat tends to be high in sodium, which has been found to be associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, especially for people who are more sensitive to salt.

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Many clinical trials have shown that red meat increases blood pressure and is linked with hypertension. This may be due to a compound called Trimethylamine-NOxide (TMAO), which is mainly produced by the human body from digesting red meat and has been recently linked to cardiovascular disease. However, more research is needed, particularly in the form of formal clinical trials.

Health impacts of red meat can also depend on the type of meat with regards to how the animals the meat is coming from was raised, cooked, or processed. 

Types of meat include: conventional meat (meat from factory farm animals), grass-fed meat (meat from grazing cows not raised in a factory), organic meat (meat from animals that are given 100% organic feed and who graze naturally), processed meats (meats that go through various processing methods such as curing or smoking), and unprocessed meats. Typically, less processed meat makes for healthier meat as does grass-fed and organic meat. 

The way meat is cooked can also affect how healthy or harmful it is for you. Based on existing research, the higher the temperature a meat is cooked at, the higher the potential that it’s harmful; however, more research is needed.

The health impacts of red meat have been widely researched in order to understand the risks and benefits of current meat consumption worldwide and to guide public health decision-making around future meat consumption.

The research behind the health impacts of red meat can be complicated given that such impacts vary based on factors such as the existing health and diet of a person, how the animals that the meat being consumed comes from were raised, and how the meat was processed.

Generalizations such as “meat is bad for you” or “meat is good for you” are neither true nor helpful, but continue to regularly circulate online.