Eating a portion of processed red meat every day increases a person's chance of dying young by 20%, a study has found.
Harvard University researched nearly 38,000 men and just over 83,000 women for up to 28 years.
Participants answered surveys about their daily eating habits, and found that red meat increased the risk of heart disease and cancer.
"This study provides clear evidence that regular consumption of red meat, especially processed meat, contributes substantially to premature death," senior author of the study Frank Zu said.
Eating a portion, considered the size of a pack of cards, of unprocessed red meat everyday saw a 13% higher risk of early mortality than those who ate it less frequently.
If the portion was of processed meat, such as bacon or a hot dog, the risk jumped to 20%.
However, if the portion of meat was substituted for nuts the mortality risk dropped by 19%, while poultry or grains lowered the risk by 14% and fish by 7%.
Processed red meat often contains saturated fats, sodium, nitrates and carcinogens, which are linked to ailments such as heart disease and cancer.