Study Results Show Beef Can Be Part of a Cholesterol-Lowering Diet!

Worried about your cholesterol?  Heard negative talk about beef in regards to fat and cholesterol?  Many Americans have been

conditioned to believe that red meat is incompatible with a heart-healthy diet. But according to a new beef checkoff-funded study comparing the impact of lean red and white meat on blood cholesterol levels, a diet including 6 ounces of lean red meat consumed five or more days a week may actually reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).

The study, "Comparison of the Effects of Lean Red Meat vs. Lean White Meat on Serum Lipid Levels Among Free-living Persons With Hypocholesterolemia," was published June 28, 1999 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"Our study is the largest and longest to provide evidence that the case against lean red meat has been misrepresented. A heart-healthy diet containing up to 6 ounces of lean red meat lowered the risk of heart disease in the study participants, by positively impacting blood cholesterol levels," says Dr. Michael H. Davidson, M.D., F.A.C.C., Chicago Center for Clinical Research, and lead researcher of the study. "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."

The results showed that both meat proteins lowered the bad and raised the good cholesterol, according to researchers. Total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol - the bad cholesterol - decreased for the duration of the nine-month period. In both groups, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (HDL) - the good cholesterol - increased. Combined, these favorable changes in blood cholesterol levels amounted to approximately a 10 percent CHD risk reduction.

The study was conducted by the Chicago Center for Clinical Research, The Johns Hopkins University Lipid Clinic and the University of Minnesota. The three-site study compared the long-term effects on cholesterol concentrations of incorporating lean red or lean white meat into a National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Step I diet among men and women with elevated blood cholesterol levels.

"We're all very excited about this report," said Sam Drinnin, chairman of the Nebraska Beef Council Board of Directors. "It's something we all knew, but it's nice to have scientific evidence. It's an example of how checkoff dollars are used for the betterment of the cattle industry."

Drinnin added that the study also fortifies the industry's new heat 'n eat products. "All of the quick and easy dinner products are made from the chuck and the round, which are lean cuts of beef," Drinnin said. He urged consumers that can't find the heat 'n eat products at their grocery store to ask the meat manager to stock them. "They (the quick and easy products) are available," Drinnin said.

Two hundred and two men and women with mild to moderate blood cholesterol levels participated in the study. 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.

"Clinical studies confirm that lean beef is interchangeable with lean chicken and fish with regard to its influence on blood cholesterol levels. This study duplicated the results in a free-living environment that allowed individuals the flexibility to consume lean red meat according to their own schedule and taste preferences," Davidson said.

One of the most surprising findings of 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 the researchers, the participants eating lean red meat showed better compliance than those participants consuming lean white meat.

"Since lean cuts of red meat are now readily available to consumers, eliminating lean red meat is unnecessarily restrictive and advising against consumption may actually negatively impact long-term dietary compliance, thus increasing cholesterol levels." says Peter O. Kwiterovich, M.D., The Johns Hopkins University Lipid Clinic.

According to the researchers, lean red meat can be easily incorporated into the diet, as there are a variety of lean cuts available in the meat case. Seven cuts of beef fall within the strict guidelines governing the "lean" designation as outlined in the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act. These cuts, on average, have 6.4 grams of total fat and 2.3 grams of saturated fat per 3-ounce cooked serving.

Researchers say that consumers looking for the leanest cuts should opt for those with the word loin or round in the name, like sirloin and eye of round. Trimming excess fat before cooking reduces fat up to 50 percent and added fat can be kept to a minimum by using low-fat cooking methods, such as broiling, grilling and roasting, or moist-heat cooking methods such as braising and stewing. Consumers should also remember that a 3-ounce portion of lean meat is equal in size to a deck of cards.

Michigan Beef Industry Commission
2145 University Park Drive, suite 300
Okemos, Michigan 48864
(517)347-0911 FAX: (517)347-0919
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