Science has known for a long time how important nutrition is to one’s general health. Recent studies have been more specific as to which foods may help and which may hurt various parts of our bodies. A recent study published in The American Journal of Epidemiology concluded that eating red meat increases an individual’s chances of contracting Age Related Macular Degeneration 50%. It also stated that eating chicken would decrease that same likelihood by 50%.

The research was conducted in Australia following over 6700 people and found that people that at red meat at least 10 times per week were 50% more likely to contract AMD then those who did not eat the red meat. By contracts it also found that folks that ate chicken at least 3 times per week were 50% less likely to contract AMD as compared to people who did not eat any chicken.

Red meat is known to be high in saturated fats that negatively affect the vascular system. These fats will cause blockages, obstructions and therefore decrease blood flow to all organs. While the researchers could not conclusively determine the exact reason for the correlation between red meat and AMD, they did conclude that it had to do with the saturated fats in the meat. They felt that the decreased blood flow to the macula would result in the increased incidence of the AMD in these patients. However, these same researchers did not have an answer as to why there was a decreased incidence in those chicken eaters. That finding will require further research.

In summary, eating red meat does introduce protein into our systems and does have positive effects on us. However, as with most things we must remember to moderate our intake. It is harder to digest then other sources of protein and can have negative affects on us as well. Sources like chicken and fish are healthier then red meat and as studies such as this one have shown can prevent certain serious ocular conditions.