What is red meat?

The term red meat is derived from the flesh of animals with a high proportion of red muscle fibres. Red meat is red when it is raw. It includes beef, pork, mutton, lamb, and horse. In short red meat is the meat of non-bird mammals.

The meat of fowl (birds) like chicken, turkey and other meats is white because they give a white texture after being cooked.

Western diets have red meat as a regular commodity, and this trend of red meat is spreading in developing countries such as India.

It has been hypothesised that red and processed meat includes a risk for cancer, specifically colorectal cancer.

Processed meat is made by smoking, salting and other methods to improve the taste or quality of red meat. Sometimes chemical preservatives are added to preserve it, for example, ham.

Nutritional level of Red Meat

Red meat has several essential nutrients and contains crucial micronutrients like iron, vitamins B12, B6, A and D, zinc, omega fatty acids, and folic acids.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, 4 ounces (115grams) of ground beef offers:

Calories: 287
Protein: 19 gm
Fat: 23 gm
Carbohydrates: 0 gm
Vitamin B12: 101% of the Daily Value (DV)
Zinc: 43% of the DV
Selenium: 31% of the DV
Niacin: 30% of the DV
Iron: 12% of the DV
These values fill the daily intake of human beings as all these proteins are a must for human health.

Examples of Red and Processed Meat

Red meat comes from cows, pigs, horses, sheep, goats or even lions.
Processed meat is made from the same red meat by adding different preservatives.
Examples of processed meat are: Hot Dogs
Meat Jerkies
Salami
Sausage
Pepperoni

So should arthritis patients include red meat in their diet?

Arthritis is a condition that involves chronic inflammation in your joints. It causes pain and can damage your joints, bones and other body parts, depending on the type of arthritis.

According to some researchers, red and processed meat can cause inflammation and significantly raise arthritis problems. British research said eating lots of red meat can increase your chances of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Even studies have shown that diets that include red meat tend to worsen Rheumatoid Arthritis and exacerbate symptoms due to its pro-inflammatory effects. In contrast, plant-based diets can work as anti-inflammatories to reduce arthritis pain.

How does red meat cause inflammation?

In the body, cells are designed to absorb and react to processed foods differently than to natural diets.

Trimethylamine Oxide (TMAO)

Trimethylamine Oxide (TMAO), a molecule produced in the body, is linked to an inflammatory condition.
Your body produces TMAO from dietary carnitine. However, it is not a required product to consume directly, as our bodies can make it. Carnitine is present in animal tissue, and as discussed, red meat is the mass of an animal.
Studies have shown that when you consume meat, you swallow carnitine as well. It is when your gut bacteria break it into TMA. Later it is converted into TMAO by the liver.
It is proven that vegans, or those who are not omnivores, produce less TMAO.

Saturated Fat

Studies have shown that a high saturated fat meal can immediately increase inflammation which can increase blood pressure.
Red meat has more saturated fat than any other plant diet or fish. It is suggested that arthritis patients should better avoid any food with a high value of saturated fat as it increases the insufficient cholesterol level, and they are more at risk for heart disease.
And as red meat has a good amount of omega 6, it can trigger pro-inflammatory chemicals in the body.

How to prevent inflammation?

It is wrong to say a non-meat diet is completely anti-inflammatory but to say red meat is healthy for arthritis patients is a bunch of bull. As discussed above, red meat organically contains compounds associated with inflammation.
If you are dealing with arthritis, it is best to switch to a diet rich in whole grains, seeds, nuts, and vegetables, which have been reported to lowest intake of fats and reduce the risk of inflammation-related chronic disease.