A 2016 article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition tracked the diets of over 70,000 people from Sweden to see if their diets affected the rate of deaths from heart disease, cancer, or any other cause. Those who ate the most red meat had a 21% higher risk of all-cause mortality and a 29% increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The researchers also found this increased the risk of early death regardless of how many fruits and vegetables they consumed, suggesting that even if you get in five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, eating too much red meat can still damage your health.
The type of meat you eat can also factor into the risk of early death, according to a 2017 article in The BMJ. Out of more than half a million people, those who ate the most red meat had a 26% higher early death risk than those who opted for other protein sources. Processed and unprocessed red meat also led to higher early death risks, and the nitrates and nitrites found in processed meats (such as bacon, sausage, and hot dogs) are also linked to increased mortality. However, those who ate the most white meat (like chicken, turkey, or fish) had a 25% lower risk of death.