Pepper steak: what the red meat research says about the dish

In a meta-analysis of 10 controlled trials in 397 adults, mostly women with a mean age of 28, eating more red meat raised hemoglobin by 2.36 g/L (95% CI 0.71 to 4.02) and did not significantly change serum ferritin, in small trials whose clinical meaning the authors left open. We found no study of pepper steak itself, so this page draws on research into beef and red meat. A second meta-analysis, of 18 randomized trials, found that more red meat raised C-reactive protein, a blood marker of inflammation, by a weighted mean difference of 0.23 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.39), with units not given in the abstract. That rise held in people diagnosed with cardiometabolic disease and not in those without, and it was not seen for unprocessed red meat, the kind that goes into this dish. Pooled cohorts of 1.97 million adults link each extra 100 g a day of unprocessed red meat with a 10% higher incidence of type 2 diabetes, an association rather than proof. A cup of pepper steak, 217 g, carries about 315 calories, 25.8 g of protein, 2.7 mg of iron, 49 mg of vitamin C and 530 mg of sodium, by one standard US survey recipe in which the sodium depends heavily on the soy sauce.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• One cup of pepper steak (217 g) in the US dietary survey carries about 315 calories, 25.8 g of protein, 530 mg of sodium, 2.7 mg of iron and 49 mg of vitamin C. — USDA FNDDS 2021-2023 food code 27416150, Pepper steak (FDC 2706747), standard measures 1 cup 217 g and quantity not specified 163 g (n = 2 measures) Evidence E source
  Per cup 217 g: energy 314.6 calories, protein 25.8 g, sodium 529.5 mg, iron 2.7 mg, vitamin C 49.0 mg; per unspecified portion 5.7 oz (163 g): 236.3 calories, 19.4 g protein, 397.7 mg sodium, 2.0 mg iron, 36.8 mg vitamin C

What your body absorbs

• A meta-analysis of 10 controlled trials in 397 adults found that eating more red meat for at least 4 weeks raised hemoglobin by 2.36 g/L but did not significantly change serum ferritin overall. — Adults aged 18 to 70 years, 81% women, mean age 28, in controlled interventions increasing red meat for 8 to 52 weeks (255 to 1841 g cooked per week) (n = 397) Evidence B source
  Hemoglobin +2.36 g/L (95% CI 0.71 to 4.02); serum ferritin +1.87 ug/L (95% CI -0.73 to 4.48, not significant), significant when interventions lasted 8 weeks or more
• In a double blind randomized trial in 52 iron-deficient women, taking 32 mg of iron with a 113 g beef lunch daily for 8 weeks raised ferritin by about 10.7 ug/L, no more than with a plant-based meat lunch. — Nonpregnant women of reproductive age with serum ferritin below 25 ug/L, iron supplement with a lunch containing 113 g beef or Beyond Meat once a day for 8 weeks (n = 52) Evidence B source
  Serum ferritin +10.7 ug/L, hemoglobin +0.5 g/dL over 8 weeks in both arms; treatment-by-time interaction P > 0.05 for all indicators

What cooking and storage change

• In a randomized crossover trial in 12 young men, a 270 g beef steak raised plasma iron whether pan-fried or sous-vide, and the zinc response area was lower after sous-vide (2965) than after pan-frying (3190). — Healthy men aged 18 to 25 years fed a breakfast of beef steak (270 g) cooked either pan-fried or sous-vide (n = 12) Evidence B source
  Plasma Fe increased (p < 0.001) and plasma Zn decreased (p < 0.05) after both methods; Zn postprandial AUC 2965 sous-vide against 3190 pan-fried, p < 0.05

What it does to your health

• A meta-analysis of 18 randomized trials found that more red meat raised C-reactive protein by a weighted mean difference of 0.23, an effect not seen for unprocessed red meat alone. — Adults with any health status in 22 randomized trials (1152 adults) and 10 observational studies (438,925 adults) (n = 1152) Evidence A source
  CRP weighted mean difference 0.23 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.39) across 18 RCTs; no effect in the unprocessed red meat subgroup; no effect on IL-6, TNF-alpha, leptin or adiponectin
• Pooled cohort data from 1.97 million adults link each extra 100 g a day of unprocessed red meat with a 10% higher incidence of type 2 diabetes over a median 10 years. — 1,966,444 adults in 31 cohorts from 20 countries, median follow-up 10 years, 107,271 incident cases (n = 1966444) Evidence C source
  HR 1.10 (95% CI 1.06 to 1.15) per 100 g/day of unprocessed red meat
• Observational studies pooled in a 2025 meta-analysis link beef consumption with a 30% higher colorectal cancer risk, with stronger associations in case-control than in cohort studies. — 27 studies published 1993 to 2024, over 1 million participants, 18 of them case-control (n = 27 studies) Evidence C source
  Beef and colorectal cancer RR 1.30 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.54); colon cancer RR 1.19 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.43)
• Cohort data on 4.3 million people link the highest total red meat intake to a 12% higher pancreatic cancer risk, but not unprocessed red meat on its own. — 19 prospective cohort studies, 4,291,065 participants, 13,820 pancreatic cancer cases (n = 4291065) Evidence C source
  Highest against lowest total red meat HR 1.12 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.24); unprocessed red meat HR 1.05 (95% CI 0.88 to 1.24)
• In a randomized crossover trial in 41 adults, 6 days of plant-based patties instead of red meat patties lowered TMAO by 0.61 log units and LDL cholesterol by 6 mg/dL. — Adults with median age 51, 32% with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, eating 2 patties of about 113 g daily for 6 days per diet (n = 41) Evidence B source
  TMAO -0.61 log units (95% CI -0.90 to -0.33); LDL cholesterol -6.0 mg/dL (95% CI -10.0 to -1.9); body weight +1.3 lb (0.6 kg) on the plant-based diet

Safety, limits and interactions

• In 1162 people with alpha-gal syndrome pooled across 15 studies, 91.8% had symptoms starting an hour or more after eating red meat and 78.7% recalled a tick bite. — Patients with alpha-gal syndrome diagnosed by alpha-gal IgE, 15 studies, 57% female (n = 1162) Evidence C source
  Onset 1 h or more after red meat 91.8% (95% CI 84.6 to 96.8); urticaria 63.8%; any gastrointestinal symptom 69.2%; tick bite recalled 78.7%

What is still unknown

• In a meta-analysis of 31 observational studies, unprocessed red meat and charred meat showed no significant association with colorectal precancerous lesions, while total red meat was linked to 13% more adenomas. — 31 observational studies of meat intake and colorectal adenomas or polyps (n = 31 studies) Evidence C source
  Red meat and colorectal adenoma RR 1.13 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.21); unprocessed red meat and charred meat not significant

The bottom line

Pan-frying and sous-vide gave similar results in a randomized crossover trial in 12 men aged 18 to 25 who ate a 270 g steak for breakfast. Plasma iron rose after both, and the zinc response area was lower after sous-vide, 2965 against 3190, in a single meal measured as blood concentration rather than absorption. Beef added nothing over a plant-based meat in a double blind trial in 52 iron-deficient women. Both groups took 32 mg of iron with lunch for 8 weeks, and ferritin rose by about 10.7 micrograms per liter whether the lunch held 4 oz (113 g) of beef or the plant product, a design that says nothing about the iron in the dish without a supplement. The long-term data are observational. Pooled cohorts of 1.97 million adults link each extra 100 g a day of unprocessed red meat with a 10% higher incidence of type 2 diabetes over a median 10 years (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.15), after adjustment for BMI and with room for residual confounding. A 2025 meta-analysis of 27 studies links beef with a 30% higher colorectal cancer risk (RR 1.30, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.54). Two thirds of those studies were case-control, which gave stronger associations than the cohorts. For colon cancer alone the estimate did not reach significance (RR 1.19, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.43). Across 31 observational studies, unprocessed red meat and charred meat showed no significant link with colorectal adenomas, while total red meat was linked to 13% more (RR 1.13, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.21). Cohorts of 4.3 million people tie the highest total red meat intake to a 12% higher pancreatic cancer risk (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.24), with no significant link for unprocessed red meat (HR 1.05, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.24). In an open-label crossover trial in 41 adults, 6 days of plant-based patties in place of red meat patties lowered TMAO by 0.61 log units and LDL cholesterol by 6.0 mg/dL (95% CI 1.9 to 10.0). Both are markers, measured over days, with patties standing in for steak. People with alpha-gal syndrome react to red meat. Across 15 studies of 1162 patients, 91.8% had symptoms starting an hour or more after eating it and 78.7% recalled a tick bite, in patient series that differed widely from one another. The cards on this page say nothing about pregnancy or medicines. If you watch your salt, the 530 mg of sodium in a cup is the number to look at, and it moves with the amount of soy sauce.

Sources

1. pstk-daily-r3-01 · food composition and portion dataset
   Pepper steak (FNDDS 27416150, FDC 2706747, Meat mixed dishes): 1 cup 217 g: energy 314.6 kcal; protein 25.8 g; sodium 529.5 mg; iron 2.7 mg; vitamin C 49.0 mg ... Quantity not specified 163 g: energy 236.3 kcal; protein 19.4 g; sodium 397.7 mg; iron 2.0 mg; vitamin C 36.8 mg
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 27416150 (FDC 2706747) · checked 2026-10-02
2. pstk-daily-r3-03 · meta-analysis of intervention trials
   Interventions involving increasing red meat intake had no significant effect on serum ferritin concentrations (raw mean change difference [RMCD] = 1.87 μg L-1; 95% CI, -0.73 to 4.48; t = 1.619; P = .139) but did have a positive effect on Hb concentrations (RMCD = 2.36 g L-1; 95% CI, 0.71 to 4.02; t = 3.297; P = .011).
   Nutr Rev, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
3. pstk-daily-r3-04 · randomized controlled trial
   Daily consumption of an iron supplement with a lunch meal for 8 wk improved serum ferritin concentrations (main time effect: +10.7 ± 9.6 μg/L, P < 0.0001) ... regardless of whether the meals contained Animal or Plant (treatment-by-time interaction: P > 0.05 for all indicators).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
4. pstk-daily-r3-02 · randomized crossover trial
   Concentrations of Fe and Zn changed after meal ingestion, with plasma Fe increasing (p < 0.001) and plasma Zn decreasing (p < 0.05) in response to both cooking methods. The only potential treatment effect was seen for Zn, where the postprandial area under the curve was lower in response to the SV meal (2965 ± 357) compared to the PF meal (3190 ± 310; p < 0.05).
   Eur J Nutr, 2019 · checked 2026-10-02
5. pstk-daily-r3-05 · meta-analysis of randomized trials
   Overall, greater total RMI led to higher CRP across 18 RCTs (weighted mean difference 0.23, 95% CI 0.08-0.39). Subgroup analyses indicated similar findings for participants diagnosed with, but not without, cardiometabolic diseases; unspecified or mixed RMI, but not unprocessed RMI
   Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
6. pstk-daily-r3-06 · meta-analysis of cohort studies
   Greater consumption of each of the three types of meat was associated with increased incidence of type 2 diabetes, with HRs of 1·10 (95% CI 1·06-1·15) per 100 g/day of unprocessed red meat (I2=61%)
   Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol, 2024 · checked 2026-10-02
7. pstk-daily-r3-07 · meta-analysis of observational studies
   Beef consumption was significantly associated with increased CRC risk, with a 30% overall risk increase (95% CI: 1.10-1.54). ... Study design and confounding factors influenced these associations, with case-control studies reporting stronger associations than cohort studies.
   J Gastrointest Cancer, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
8. pstk-daily-r3-09 · meta-analysis of cohort studies
   The highest intake of total red meat was positively related to risk of pancreatic cancer (Pooled HR: 1.12, 95%CIs: 1.01, 1.24; I2: 36.5 %, PQ-test: 0.10). Such association was not significant for unprocessed (Pooled HR: 1.05, 95%CIs: 0.88, 1.24; I2: 66.6 %, PQ-test: 0.002)
   Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
9. pstk-daily-r3-10 · randomized crossover trial
   Compared with the red-meat supplemented diet, the plant-based meat supplemented diet resulted in lower TMAO levels: -0.61 log units (95% CI -0.90 to -0.33, P < 0.001). The plant-based diet was also associated with lower LDL cholesterol: -6.0 mg/dL (95%CI -10.0 to -1.9)
   Sci Rep, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
10. pstk-daily-r3-11 · meta-analysis of observational studies
    Tick bite history was recalled by 78.7% (CI: 46.4-98.1; I2 = 99.1%), and 91.8% (CI: 84.6-96.8; I2 = 70.3%) had symptom onset ≥ 1 h post red meat intake.
    Neurogastroenterol Motil, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
11. pstk-daily-r3-08 · meta-analysis of observational studies
    The results positively linked red meat intake to the risk of colorectal adenomas (RR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.21) ... Pooled RRs and 95% CIs suggest that the intake of total meat, charred meat, and unprocessed red meat had no significant associations with precancerous lesions of CRC.
    Nutr Rev, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02