For years, health officials believed eating red meat was good for people -- until they linked it to cancer and heart disease. Now, a new study suggests they might have been right in the first place.
Published Monday in the "Annals of Internal Medicine," the study claims there's insufficient evidence to support claims that red meat poses significant health risks. Among the factors used to reach the new conclusion was a study that shows eliminating three servings of meat per week results in just seven fewer deaths per thousand people. However, the study does have its detractors. A number of scientists have criticized its authors for rushing to publish their results before all the facts were in. "What we need to do is look at the weight of evidence," says Harvard nutrition professor Walter Willett, who believes the publication of the study should have been postponed. "That's what courts of law use."
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