Unprocessed Red Meat and Processed Meat Consumption: Dietary Guideline Recommendations From the Nutritional Recommendations (NutriRECS) Consortium.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Practice guideline developed from five de novo systematic reviews using GRADE methodology
PubMed 31569235 · doi:10.7326/M19-1621
What was done
A 14-member international guideline panel developed recommendations on unprocessed red meat and processed meat consumption based on 5 de novo systematic reviews (4 on health effects and 1 on health-related values and preferences). The panel applied the Nutritional Recommendations (NutriRECS) process and GRADE methodology. Environmental and animal welfare considerations were excluded.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical risk estimates or effect sizes. The panel issued weak recommendations based on low-certainty evidence suggesting that adults continue their current consumption of unprocessed red meat and continue their current consumption of processed meat.
Why it matters
This guideline challenged prevailing dietary recommendations by concluding that the existing evidence against red and processed meat consumption is of low certainty, leading to a weak recommendation to maintain current intake.
Limits
The abstract does not report numerical outcome estimates or sample sizes from the component reviews. The underlying evidence was judged to be of low certainty, recommendations were weak, and environmental impact and animal welfare were omitted.
Cited by
- supports The 2019 NutriRECS guidelines examined evidence regarding red meat and human health and found no reason to recommend that humans reduce red meat intake.