So many people I speak to say they are cutting back on red meat to improve their health – but will it?

While some research links eating red meat to cancer and heart disease, other studies suggest the risks aren't as clear-cut.

What's more, red meat – by which I mean beef, lamb, goat, venison and pork (the latter is paler as it contains less myoglobin, a protein that gives meat its red colour) – is packed with nutrients such as zinc and iron. While these are available from other foods, they aren't always as easily absorbed.

So which is it, a health risk or a valuable source of nutrition?

One problem when addressing this question is red meat often gets bundled into the same category as processed meat (e.g. sausages, bacon and ham).

Some scientists now argue that unprocessed and processed meats should be considered separately, as processed meats tend to carry a higher health risk. The worry is this may be skewing the research – and potentially overstating the risks of small amounts of unprocessed red meat.

Processed meat has a clearly identified link to a higher risk of cancer.

That's as true of pricey charcuterie as it is of standard streaky bacon – as when meat is processed through methods such as curing and smoking, it can produce harmful chemicals, including N-nitroso compounds, which can bind directly to genetic material and may cause changes to DNA that are linked to the development of cancer.

Processed meats are also strongly linked to a higher risk of heart disease, with the higher salt, saturated fat and preservatives known to raise blood pressure and damage blood vessels.

But the relationship is less certain for unprocessed, red meat. Studies looking at people's eating habits suggest that those eating more red meat do have a higher risk of heart disease. But when researchers run experiments exploring how or why, they don't find the same clear connection.

One reason could be that people who eat a lot of red meat often have less healthy diets overall – they may eat fewer fruits and vegetables, more processed foods or have other habits that raise their heart disease risk.

So the link might be more about lifestyle than red meat alone.

In fact, an in-depth analysis of 20 studies found that eating around 160g of red meat a day (about half a steak) didn't make much difference to blood pressure, though there was a small rise in 'bad' LDL cholesterol.

However, that disappeared when one study was taken out of the results, which were published last year in Current Developments in Nutrition.

There are also concerns about a possible link to cancer.

I'm part of an international research team, led by Harvard University, investigating why colorectal cancer is increasing in the under-50s – and red meat consumption is a suspect.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen (known to cause cancer) and red meat as a Group 2A carcinogen (probably causes cancer).

This classification is based on how strong the evidence is that there is a risk.

The difference in the risk between red meat and processed meat is summed up by analysis published in the journal Plos One in 2014 which found that every 100g of red meat eaten daily is associated with a 17 per cent higher risk of colon cancer.

Meanwhile, eating 50g of processed meat daily (half the amount) was linked to an 18 per cent higher risk.

But eating a small amount of red and processed meat may be OK (and I mean small).

A 2024 review of 52 studies found no clear link between eating up to 50g of red meat (a quarter of a steak) or 20g of processed meat a day (one small rasher of bacon) and a higher risk of colon cancer – challenging the idea that any amount is harmful.

The research, published in Advances in Nutrition, also suggested that for people who eat plenty of fibre-rich foods, the risk from lower meat intakes might be smaller than previously thought.

The fibre is going to help as it feeds the trillions of microbes in your gut, which can help with digestion, immune function and tackling excess inflammation which is linked to heart disease and cancer.

A new study in Nature Microbiology found that those with a diet high in red meat tended to have higher levels of gut bacteria linked to chronic inflammation, while those with a diet rich in plants (but still including some meat) had more of the gut bacteria that produce molecules that help tackle inflammation and keep the gut lining healthy.

Eating plenty of fibre from foods such as beans, wholegrains and vegetables helps grow these 'good' gut bacteria – and may counteract some of the potential harmful effects linked to eating a heavy red-meat diet.

Like most things with nutrition, it's how much you have that matters. If you love the odd Sunday roast or shepherd's pie, there's no need to banish red meat entirely.

But if you eat a lot of red meat, cutting back is a good idea. UK health guidelines recommend keeping red and processed meat intake below 70g per day – and the most recent National Diet and Nutrition Survey found that 74 per cent of women and 57 per cent of men have hit this target.

And for those who do want to continue to enjoy red meat, here are my tips to help you do so without compromising your health...

Choose the right meat for you

The nutrition of different types of red meat varies.

If you're aiming to cut down on saturated fat, pork is the leanest option – it has two-and-a-half times less than lamb, which is the fattiest option (then it's beef with half as much saturated fat).

If you're looking to boost your iron intake (menstruating women need nearly twice as much as men), then lamb and beef contain the most (choose a lean cut).

Of course, you don't need to eat meat to remain healthy – you can get iron and zinc from plants (such as beans and dried fruit), but meat does contain a type of iron that's easier to absorb. Plants contain a different kind, called non-haem iron, which is harder for your body to use.

All red meat is high in protein (about 20-23g per 100g), with beef containing slightly more.

Trim off any excess fat

You might have heard this before but it works: cutting off visible fat from red meat can lower the total fat by up to 60 per cent, according to a study published in Meat Science in 2009.

How you cook red meat matters, too – longer cooking times and simmering for an hour or steaming (which is more traditional in Asian cuisines) can cut fat by up to 44 per cent. Grilling also lowers fat but to a lesser extent.

An easy way to put this into practice is to make a beef stew – trim the fat off stewing steak, simmer it with plenty of veggies, onions and garlic, and gently cook for a couple of hours.

To keep the fat content lower, let it cool and skim off any fat that rises before reheating.

The swaps that cut cholesterol

When you're cutting back on meat, include more nuts or beans as it may help cut your cholesterol. That was the finding of analysis of 36 trials published in Circulation in 2019.

The research found that people who replaced red meat with beans, lentils, tofu, or nuts had lower levels of LDL cholesterol – the 'bad' cholesterol.

Swapping red meat for fish also improved cholesterol levels, but replacing it with refined carbohydrates (such as white bread) didn't offer the same benefits.

Using lentils instead of mince in a Bolognese, making a chickpea curry, or having grilled salmon instead of steak, are simple ways to make changes for your health.

Oil your meat, not the pan

High-temperature cooking such as frying, grilling and barbecuing meat produces the highest levels of known or suspected cancer-causing compounds, says a 2015 review in The Lancet Oncology.

Slow cooking, steaming and baking produces fewer harmful compounds while also helping to preserve nutrients.

If you're frying a steak, oil the meat first, then add low-sodium salt before placing it in the pan, instead of adding oil straight into the pan. Both reduce smoke and burning (the salt creates a barrier between the pan and the steak), meaning fewer potentially harmful compounds form – and you'll get a juicier steak, too.

TikTok doctor 

This week: Working out with your menstrual cycle

What social media says: Cycle syncing – aka changing your exercise and eating habits according to your menstrual cycle, for better results – is all the rage online. It includes advice such as planning more intense workouts before ovulation.

Expert's verdict: 'The theory is that at different points in the cycle, levels of hormones [oestrogen and progesterone] can fluctuate and this can impact appetite, sleep, energy levels and performance,' says Frankie Jackson-Spence, a clinical research fellow at Queen Mary University of London. 

'For example, in the first half of the cycle, oestrogen levels are at their highest. Oestrogen gives us energy and helps build strength. In the second half of the cycle, progesterone becomes predominant, so we might feel more sluggish.

'There is some evidence that muscle-building ability is higher when oestrogen levels are highest. Also progesterone can increase body temperature and reduce sleep quality, which, in turn, can have an impact on exercise performance and appetite. But on the whole there isn't enough data to show this theory works.'