Diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels – cardiovascular diseases – include numerous health problems, many of which are related to a process called atherosclerosis, a condition that develops when a substance called plaque is deposited on the walls of the arteries. Its build-up narrows the arteries, making it harder for the blood to flow. If a clot forms inside the arteries, it can stop the flow of blood. This can cause a heart attack or a stroke. Diseases of the circulatory system have caused a number of deaths in 2008 amounting to 224,482 (97,952 men and 126,530 women), i.e. 38.8% of all deaths.

Cardiovascular disease is largely preventable by adopting a healthy lifestyle, a particularly healthy diet, regular physical activity and the elimination of cigarette smoking.

Meat is often viewed with concern for the health of the heart, but not all of the scientific studies agree on this point. A systematic review of 11 epidemiological studies published in 2015 found that in four studies a high intake of red meat posed a significant risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), but no significant association was found in the five other studies.

A reasonable amount of lean beef can be included in a healthy diet for the heart, and can have favourable effects on the metabolic syndrome and coronary heart disease. In some studies it was for example observed that adults with high cholesterol, who consumed 100-115 g of lean beef per day but limited their intake of saturated fat to less than 7% of total calories, have had a significant decrease in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol compared to subjects with a diet low in meat, but with 12% of total calories from saturated fat.

Another study by meta-analysis published in 2010 showed a significant increase in the risk of coronary heart disease with the increasing consumption of processed meats: a 50 g intake of processed meat a day (which is more than double that consumed in Italy) was associated with an average of 42% increased risk, while there was no correlation shown with red meat intake (relative risk [RR] = 1.00).

Even the EPIC study showed a significantly increased risk of death due to cardiovascular diseases linked to the increased consumption of processed meat (HR 1.72 [95% CI 1.29 to 2.30]) comparing the highest consumption and the lowest (> 160 g per person per day compared to 10-19.9 g). With white and red unprocessed meat there was no significant correlation with cardiovascular death.

In summary, the WHO recommendations to prevent cardiovascular diseases are to reduce the consumption of saturated fat, so as to control the level of “bad cholesterol” in the blood, hence the suggestion to prefer lean cuts of meat. But also to pay attention to other foods: saturated fats are also present in dairy products, in many baked goods and fried foods.

Some plant foods, such as palm oil or coconut, for example contain large amounts of saturated fat. In fact meat and cured meats are among the least responsible foods of the assumption of saturated fat.