According to a new study, eating more of unprocessed meat has been linked to an increased risk of getting an inflammatory bowel condition called diverticulitis.
Diverticulitis is a common condition which occurs when small pockets lining the intestine called diverticula become irritated. Diverticulitis is linked to smoking, obesity and chronic use of anti-inflammation drugs.
In the study, the scientists analysed data collected from more than 46,000 volunteers in the ongoing Health Professionals Follow-Up Study over a period of 26 years. Every two years, the men in the study filled out questionnaires about their medical histories and any illnesses they had, and every four years, they completed a questionnaire to give scientists a sense of their diets.
The men included in the study had no previous problems related to diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel disease or a gastrointestinal cancer when the study started.
However, this study require further investigation using different demographic factors and both age groups.This study was published in the journal Gut.