[Health India]: London, Dec 4 : Red meat consumption can make people more susceptible to the risk of developing inflammatory arthritis, according to University of Manchester researchers.

The researchers found other factors like smoking as one of the primary causes but amidst dietary causes of the disease routinely eating burgers and steak, were also found to influence people with a predisposition for the disease.

"It may be that the high collagen content of meat leads to collagen sensitization and consequent production of anticollagen antibodies, most likely in a sub-group of susceptible individuals," the authors were quoted as saying.

"Meat consumption may be linked to either additives or even infectious agents, but, again, there is no evidence as to what might be important in relation to RA," they added.

"A high level of red meat consumption may represent a novel risk factor for inflammatory arthritis or may act as a marker for a group of persons with an increased risk from other lifestyle causes," Dr. Pattison and colleagues were quoted as saying "It is unclear whether the association is a causative one," he added. (ANI)