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Is it true that eating red meat can cause tiredness?
by
Caen, France
Tuesday, 30 September 2025
As the end of summer draws nearer, many people might start feeling a bit tired, but will reducing your meat consumption help wake you up? The idea that meats like beef or lamb can cause you to feel tired is nothing new. But is there some truth to it, or is it simply a common misconception?
Harder to digest or harder to chew, is red meat tiring? | © ipolly80
Tiredness or fatigue can be caused by many factors (sleep deprivation, stress, hydration levels, work...), but how can your diet affect how energised you feel on a day-to-day basis?
Anaemia, a common cause
A deficiency, or anaemia, can often be one of the causes of fatigue. Anaemia can come from a couple of different places: the most common ones being a lack of iron or vitamin B9. It is clear then that adapting your diet can play a key role in making you feel more awake and in better form. But what of meat?
In that case, if anaemia is the cause of your fatigue, eating meat is actually recommended!
What does red meat do for our metabolism?
Red meat is a brilliant source of iron, which is the leading cause of anaemia. Iron produces haemoglobin, the protein contained in red blood cells that is responsible for the delivery of oxygen to the tissues and which helps us to feel less tired.
Another friend of haemoglobin, which you can also find in red meat, is the B12 vitamin. So, if you're feeling tired because of anaemia, don't cut out red meat! On the contrary, eating meat (or other iron-heavy foods) might well be a solution to your problem.
If your tiredness persists for a long period of time and doesn't have an obvious cause, you should always speak to your general practitioner.
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