(NewsNation) — A new study has found it’s a low percentage of Americans who are responsible for eating much of the beef consumed in the country in a given day.

This finding could now help consumer groups and government agencies create educational messages about what they say are the negative health and environmental of beef, researchers said in a news release.

Only 12% of Americans eat around half of all beef consumed every day, researchers from Tulane University in New Orleans, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio found. That’s a “disproportionate” amount of beef being eaten by this group if gong by Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which suggest 4 ounces per day of meat, poultry, and eggs combined for most people.

This 12% most likely consists of men and people between the ages of 50 and 65, the study, published in the journal Nutrients, said. To conduct their research, scientists analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. That survey tracked the meals of over 10,000 adults over 24 hours.

“We focused on beef because of its impact on the environment, and because it’s high in saturated fat, which is not good for your health,” the study’s corresponding and senior author Diego Rose, a professor and nutrition program director at Tulane University said.

Red meat increases health risks, Dr. Frank Hu, chair of the Department of Nutrition for Harvard University, said in 2020. An “accumulated body of evidence” shows a clear link between a high intake of red and processed meats, and a heightened risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and premature death, Hu added.

There can be some benefits of eating red meat: It has high amounts of protein, which promote muscle growth, vitamin B₁₂ to create red blood cells and zinc, which helps the body produce testosterone, and selenium. But these can also be found in poultry, fish, eggs and nuts, Hu pointed out.

As for beef’s environmental impact, the World Wildlife Fund says beef production has a “considerable effect” on climate change, as it emits greenhouse gases such as methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide.

This climate change impact could be why the recent study found that those below 29 were one of the groups least likely to eat large amounts of beef, along with those older than 66, researchers said. Rose said the study indicates the younger generations might be more interested in mitigating the environmental pressures beef creates.

“There’s hope in the younger generation, because it’s their planet they’re going to inherit,” Rose said. “I’ve seen in my classes that they’re interested in diet, how it impacts the environment, and what can they do about it.”

It’s yet to be seen if the findings will decrease people’s beef-eating habits overall.

“On one hand, if it’s only 12% accounting for half the beef consumption, you could make some big gains if you get those 12% on board,” Rose said. “On the other hand, those 12% may be most resistant to change.” 

However, according to the study, six of the top 10 sources where people got their beef were “mixed dishes” like burgers, burritos or spaghetti with meat sauce, which offer an opportunity for people to alter their dietary habits.

“If you’re getting a burrito, you could just as easily ask for chicken instead of beef,” another of the study’s authors,  Amelia Willits-Smith, one of the study’s lead authors and a post-doctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said.