A new study suggests that eating red meat could disrupt gut bacteria in ways that worsen inflammation, but so far the evidence comes only from mice.
Researchers in China fed mice diets of pork, beef or mutton for two weeks, then induced colon inflammation. Compared with control animals, the red meat–fed mice had more pro-inflammatory immune activity and greater damage in the colon. Their gut microbiomes also shifted: bacteria often considered beneficial, such as Akkermansia and Faecalibacterium, decreased, while microbes linked with inflammation, including Clostridium, increased.
“This study contributes to improving food innervation approaches for inflammatory bowel disease treatment and indicates a close crosstalk among diet, gut microbiota and intestinal immunity,” said co–corresponding author Dan Tian, MD, PhD, of Capital Medical University.
While intriguing, the findings were observed in mice, not people. Human studies are still needed to understand whether red meat diets have the same effect on the gut and how this might influence inflammatory bowel disease risk or severity.
This research, which was published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, was supported by Capital Medical University in China.