Effect of Eliminating Red Meat Consumption on the Cardiovascular System

Plain-language summary

The objective of this clinical trial is to evaluate, in clinically healthy young omnivores, whether excluding red and processed meat from their diets for four weeks results in: * measurable changes in arterial structure and function; * measurable changes in key metabolic parameters. The sample consisted of clinically healthy young people who had been following an omnivorous diet for at least one year. Those with a history that could influence the results were excluded. Exclusion criteria included alcohol or coffee abuse, vitamin B12 supplement intake, anemia, hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, a history of cardiovascular disease, or an unstable clinical situation. Participants taking chronic medication, except those using oral contraceptives, were also excluded. A single-group longitudinal study design is adopted, comprising a 4-week intervention period. Each participant undergoes two assessments: at baseline (T0) and 4 weeks after eliminating red/processed meat from the diet (T1). After being informed about the study and signing the informed consent form, participants are asked to complete a questionnaire containing information on sociodemographic (sex, age, weight, and height), behavioral (diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, coffee, vitamin B12 supplements, energy drinks, and sports activity), and clinical parameters (use of oral contraceptives, medications, anemia, hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, and personal history of CVD). Participants are also instructed to replace red and processed meat in their daily diet with fish, eggs, or white meat, and to maintain the food proportions of their meals unchanged.

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