Heart-Healthy

Beef can (and should) be part of a Heart Healthy diet.

Today's beef is leaner than ever before.  In fact, the beef industry has taken considerable efforts to respond to government guidelines and consumer demand for leaner beef.

There are 29 cuts of beef that meet government guidelines for "lean" and many options that meet "extra lean" guidelines including the eye of round steak and roast and top sirlion steak

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that people do not need to limit their diets to white meat anymore; lean red meat can be incorporated into a heart-healthy diet, too. This study compared the impact of lean red and white meat on blood cholesterol levels and found that a diet including 6 ounces of lean red meat consumed at least five days a week may actually reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

The study consisted of 202 men and women with mild to moderate blood cholesterol levels. Half of the group derived 80 percent of their meat intake from lean red meat sources (beef, veal or pork) five to seven days a week for nine months; the other from lean white meat sources (fish, poultry) for the same period of time.

This is the third study to confirm that lean red meat, as part of a heart-healthy diet, positively impacts blood cholesterol. This study was conducted in a "free-living" environment, which means participants had the flexibility to consume 6 ounces of lean red meat five to seven days a week according to their own taste and time preferences.

The results showed that in both meat groups, proteins lowered the bad and raised the good cholesterol. "Clinical studies confirm that lean beef is interchangeable with lean chicken and fish with regard to its influence on blood cholesterol levels," according to Dr. Michael H. Davidson, lead researcher of the study.

A surprising finding in this study was that participants who consumed lean red meat were more likely to follow their diet regimen than participants consuming only lean white meat. According to Dr. Davidson, "For those individuals at-risk for coronary heart disease consuming lean red meat is not only acceptable - it encourages compliance to a heart-healthy diet."

For more information regarding the nutrient properties of beef, visit the Web site www.BeefNutrition.org.