diet

So what does this all mean? Should you never eat red meat? Is this the end of the bacon cheeseburger? Of course not! When faced with information like this we really need to step back and look at the big picture. How much do you enjoy eating a juicy steak or a grilled hot dog on a warm summer day? What is the purpose of life? What is the lifetime mortality of someone who never eats red meat? (Hint: it's 100%.) Let's not forget that red meat is also an excellent source of protein, iron, B vitamins, and zinc...oh, and it tastes pretty good too!

So what are some take home points about meat intake in Crohn's disease? Red meat (beef, lamb, pork [yes pork too!]) can be though of as pro-inflammatory foods. It is reasonable to limit consumption of red meat to once or twice per week at most. Fish is probably a good alternative to red meat. These recommendations are based on very limited, low-quality data. Sometimes this is better than no data at all!