Alex Rodriguez lost 32 pounds last year. He says one of the biggest changes to his diet is eating way less meat.

Research has shown that people who eat less meat have a lower risk of cancer than heavy meat eaters.

• Alex Rodriguez says the biggest change he's made to his diet recently is eating less meat.
• He told People he now eats meat one or two days out of 10, rather than eight days out of 10.
• Research has shown that people who eat less meat have a lower risk of cancer than heavy meat eaters.

Alex Rodriguez is cutting back on how much meat he eats.

"The biggest thing I've done for my diet is I used to eat meat like steak probably eight out of 10 days, and now I've cut it to one or two days out of 10," the former New York Yankees star told People.

Rodriguez, 48, said he goes to the gym "six or seven days a week, just to break a sweat every day."

His workout routine includes yoga, meditation, and a 40-minute walk before bed, he said.

In September, Rodriguez told Us Weekly that he lost 32 pounds by changing his daily routine with help from his girlfriend, fitness instructor Jaclyn Cordeiro.

Following the publication of the Us Weekly interview, he posted on Instagram about the steps he took to change his lifestyle.

"It all came down to me making some key changes in my habits: 1. More plants, less red meat. 2. Intermittent fasting. 3. Night walks. Small changes led to big results, and I'm feeling better than ever," Rodriguez wrote in the caption.

Rodriguez retired in August 2016. In October 2023, he told Men's Health that he used to eat steak, potatoes, rice, and beans across six or seven meals a day when he was in season.

Research has shown that people who eat less meat have a lower risk of cancer than heavy meat eaters. A 2022 study of 472,377 adults in the UK aged between 40 and 70 years old showed that vegetarians and vegans had a 14% lower overall cancer risk compared to people who ate meat more than five times a week on average.

Dan Buettner, a journalist and longevity researcher, told Business Insider in 2022 that people in Blue Zones rarely eat red meat or processed foods. Instead, their diets consist of whole foods, plants, and complex carbohydrates like beans.

Buettner uses Blue Zones to describe regions in the world where people live longer and healthier lives. The original five Blue Zones include Okinawa in Japan, Ikaria in Greece, Sardinia in Italy, Nicoya in Costa Rica, and Loma Linda in California.

While eating too much meat — and specifically red meat — has been linked to health problems such as heart disease and cancer, it isn't all bad since it contains iron, protein, and vitamin B12.

When consuming red meat, the American Heart Association recommends eating lean cuts of meat and limiting portion sizes. One portion of cooked meat is three ounces.

A representative for Rodriguez did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.