Red or Processed Meat

A diet with a lot of red or processed meat increases the risk of dying, according to the March 23 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. A U.S. study of 545,000 people found that eating the equivalent of a quarter-pound hamburger a day raised a man's risk of dying of cancer by 22 percent and of heart disease by 27 percent. Women saw the risk leap 20 percent for cancer and 50 percent for heart disease.

Lots of red meat may also raise your risk of blindness, according to Australian researchers. A study found that people who eat beef, lamb or pork 10 times or more a week face a higher risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, a condition that can lead to blindness.