According to the findings of a recent National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study supported by the National Cancer Institute, regular intake of red meat increases the risk of premature death due to cancer, heart disease, and other reasons. The recent study is apparently the first-of-its-kind to underline an alarming association between red and processed meat and premature deaths.

For the study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the researchers observed over 500,000 Americans - aged between 50 and 71 years - and followed them for a
10-year period. Using the Social Security Administration's databases for tracking the causes of death, the researchers found that 47,976 men and 23,276 women had died during the follow-up period.

The study found that those with nearly four ounces of red meat daily intake were at a 30 percent increased risk of premature death during the 10 years they were followed - the causes of deaths mostly being cancer and heart disease.

Commenting on the conclusions, study researcher Rashmi Sinha, PhD, a senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute, said: "We found the consumption of red and processed meat is associated with a modest increase in overall mortality, as well as cancer and cardiovascular mortality in both men and women."

Experts said that the research substantiates the long-standing recommendations of cutting down the consumption of red meat! (Harkiran contributed to this report)