Overview

• Mice fed pork, beef or mutton for two weeks developed more severe chemically induced colitis than controls.
• Red-meat diets shifted the gut microbiome by lowering Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, Streptococcus and Lactococcus and raising Clostridium and Mucispirillum.
• Colon analyses showed higher pro-inflammatory cytokines alongside increased infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages.
• The study from Capital Medical University was published August 20 in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.
• Researchers stress limits of a short, high-exposure DSS mouse model and call for human studies, noting prior epidemiology linking higher red or processed meat intake to worse IBD outcomes.