You might want to put down the steak knife once in a while: People who eat larger quantities of red meat are at greater risk of dying from one of nine diseases.

That’s the upshot of a study published recently in the journal BMJ.  After studying responses from more than 500,000 people, researchers from the National Cancer Institute concluded that meat consumption increased the chances of dying from ailments that include cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and liver disease.

Researchers began tracking the study participants in 1995. More than 128,000 people in the study eventually died, allowing the researchers to associate diet with a cause of death.

The one-fifth of participants who ate the most red meat had a 26 percent greater chance of dying compared with the 20 percent of people who ate the least red meat, the researchers found.

Another important factor appeared to be nitrates, which are added to cured meats such as salami, bacon and sausage as a preservative.

So what’s behind red meat’s possible health issues? The researchers believe it plays a role in inflammation and oxidative damage in a number of organs. The way the body metabolizes red meat also creates compounds linked to cancer, heart disease and insulin resistance.

The most recent dietary guidelines from the federal government stopped short of a definitive limit on red meat. The guidelines note that some men and teenage boys who eat more than the recommended 26 ounces a week of animal protein should look for ways to reduce that amount.

So while there’s nothing wrong with occasionally enjoying a juicy hunk of red meat, consider doing it less frequently or in smaller portions.