Red Meat Accelerates Biological Aging

Author: Maryam Ayres Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

Excessive consumption of red meat can accelerate the processes of biological aging in the body.

Hamburgers are an integral part of the diet in the Western world. And no matter the health risks, it turns out that we could hardly give them up. Researchers at the University of Glasgow, UK, are conducting a study aimed at identifying risks to red meat consumption .

It is believed that excessive consumption can accelerate biological aging . Unlike chronological age, which is measured by the years we live in, according to some experts, biological death is closely linked to the risk of diseases that develop with age. An example is dementia .

One of the factors that determines biological aging is the amount of serum phosphate in the body - particles that increase when we eat meat. According to researchers, even a small increase in serum phosphate levels can accelerate the processes of biological aging .

For the purposes of their study, the experts analyzed the eating habits of more than 600 people. To assess the way in which red meat consumption affects biological aging, serum phosphate levels are measured, along with biological markers of aging . This includes the DNA content and the length of the telomeres .

The analysis shows that phosphate levels are directly related to the frequency of red meat consumption . In these cases, the consumption of fruits and vegetables is reduced. Elevated phosphate levels have been shown to be associated with decreased renal function as well as mild to moderate chronic kidney disease .

The observations are mostly found among people who live more modestly and have greater access to meat products, at the expense of fruits and vegetables .

The data from the study are published in the pages of Aging magazine .

Red Meat Accelerates Biological Aging

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