If you’re thinking about becoming a vegetarian, this might up the ante.

New Year’s resolutions. Ah, yes. We’re sure you have a bunch of them and that at least one of them involves your diet. Sure, you can look to the latest health trends, try a juice diet or a 30-day challenge, but if your goal is to live longer, you might actually just want to give up this one thing… Meat.

Self-proclaimed carnivores will be sad to hear that a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic in Arizona found that meat raises your mortality rates and the likelihood of dying. Yikes.

Researchers reviewed six large-scale studies that featured over 1.5 million participants including everyone from dedicated vegans to hardcore meat-lovers. The studies tracked participants for periods ranging from 5.5 to 28 years and found that meat is killing us slowly.

Cutting meat from diet

Of the six studies, red and processed meats, like hot dogs and ham, turned out to be the most harmful, raising the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. The review also showed that even the smallest bit of red meat may have an impact on mortality risk. Only one of the studies reported an increased mortality rate through risk of cardiovascular disease for white meat.

If you’re thinking about going vegan, you’ll be happy to know that those who maintained a plant-based diet for 17+ years lived 3.6 years longer than short-term vegetarians.

So the real question is, are you willing to give up your love affair with burgers and steaks for an extra 1314 (give or take) days on earth?

Are you considering giving up meat after reading this? Tweet us @ViewTheVibe.

VIBE Team

We strive to bring edgy content from different perceptions, opinions and viewpoints while covering the latest trends in food, travel, style, beauty, life, culture, events and more. Based in Toronto, we show you the best that this beautiful city has to offer.