Diet for a Longer Life

The advice to dial back on burgers, steaks, and cold cuts just took on a bit more oomph: A ten-year study of 545,000 Americans found that people who eat about four ounces of beef or pork a day (the amount in an average-sized burger) are at least 30 percent more likely to die early, compared with those who consume an ounce or less daily. Though previous research has linked a diet heavy in red meat to a greater risk of heart disease and colon cancer, this is the first big study to look at how it affects your life expectancy.

The results don’t mean you have to completely eliminate beef and pork, says Paula Quatro­moni, DSc, an assistant professor of nutrition at Boston University, who wasn’t involved in the study. “You just need to eat much less.” Read on to find out how.