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Consuming red meat in amounts above what is typically recommended does not affect short-term cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as blood pressure and blood cholesterol, according to a new review of clinical trials from Purdue University.
"During the last 20 years, there have been recommendations to eat less red meat as part of a healthier diet, but our research supports that red meat can be incorporated into a healthier diet," said Wayne Campbell, professor of nutrition science. "Red meat is a nutrient-rich food, not only as a source for protein but also bioavailable iron."
The recommendations to limit red meat from the diet come mainly from studies that relate peoples' eating habits to whether they have cardiovascular disease. While these studies suggest that red meat consumption is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, they are not designed to show that red meat is causing cardiovascular disease. So Campbell, doctoral student Lauren O'Connor, and postdoctoral researcher Jung Eun Kim, conducted a review and analysis of past clinical trials, which are able to detect cause and effect between eating habits and health risks. They screened hundreds of related research articles, focusing on studies that met specific criteria including the amount of red meat consumed, evaluation of cardiovascular disease risk factors and study design. An analysis of the 24 studies that met the criteria is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Total red meat intake of >=0.5 servings/d does not negatively influence cardiovascular disease risk factors: a systemically searched meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.116.142521
(Score: 3, Informative) by Bogsnoticus on Wednesday January 04 2017, @06:14AM
That's the problem with many of these studies, they just group everything under "red meat", without actually differentiating between the species of animal it came from, the animal's diet, how much the animal roamed, domestic or game, and other factors which would greatly affect the nutritional and fat content of the meat.
Personally, at least 50% of the red meat I consume is wild kangaroo. Higher in iron and protein compared to pretty much anything else except whale/dolphin, very minimal fat content even on the "bad" cuts, and far tastier than domesticated cow or sheep.
Eating low grade hamburger mince counts as "red meat", but the high fat content would pretty much be coronary-inducing if that was the only source of protein for many.
Until they clarify what they define as red meat, I'll take their findings with a grain of salt. Maybe a pinch of pepper too.
Genius by birth. Evil by choice.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by choose another one on Wednesday January 04 2017, @08:57AM
Kangaroo is damned good, but very pricey unless it is running wild outside your door, which is only true in one country. For the rest of us it'll stay a rare treat.
> but the high fat content would pretty much be coronary-inducing if that was the only source of protein for many.
There isn't even any scientific proof of that in my experience. There is proof of a correlation between high fat in your blood and coronary problems, but nothing to show that high fat in diet leads to high fat in blood, that seems to be just a "must be so" that has made lots of $$$ for the "low fat" food industry.
My experience: I used to eat a relatively high fat (well, normal) diet, plenty of variety, almost all cooked from scratch, but I cooked with olive oil and butter, full fat milk, cream, and didn't worry about what I ate at all. Then I ended up in hospital after a minor stroke, found my blood pressure was through the roof and my cholesterol was 6. The doctors were adamant I needed to go on a low fat diet, to get it down to 4, so I did. After nearly two years of eating low fat low salt low taste virtually everything, my cholesterol has now gone up to 9. Go figure.
(Score: 2) by Bogsnoticus on Wednesday January 04 2017, @07:12PM
My point about "coronary-inducing" was pointed at, as Ayn mentions below, fat=energy. Without actually burning off that high level of energy being introduced into your system, your body has a tendency to store it for future use.
Even if it doesn't leech into the bloodstream and cause blood vessels to narrow, having the extra weight to carry around without corresponding muscle mass to assist would be putting extra pressure on the heart.
For the record: for the last year I have literally had kangaroo bouncing around outside my door. I used to just buy it from the shops, but every once in a while, the neighbour and myself will break the bow and rifle out, and bring down a big male to divvy up between us, and also to barter with other neighbours for fresh fruit and veggies.
Genius by birth. Evil by choice.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 04 2017, @10:19AM
There is absolutely nothing wrong with eating fat. In fact, it's absolutely essential.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday January 04 2017, @12:59PM
Really? That's awesome. I tried it once at a high-end place in Sydney and quite enjoyed it. But wouldn't eating as much as you do make you jumpy?
In all seriousness, I'm intrigued. I remember reading in the 80's that Australian authorities were trying to convince people to eat kangaroo because they had grown so numerous as to become a pest. Did you start eating it then, or has it always been part of your hunting tradition?
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Bogsnoticus on Wednesday January 04 2017, @07:33PM
I first tried kangaroo in the late 80's, but being city slicker, access to it was rare. Wasn't until the late 90's that it got to the point where the hunters doing the culls had access to affordable refrigerated vehicles to make butchering it for consumption cost effective.
That's when I started eating it more, and it was actually due to getting a bad serve of roast beef, which ended up turning me off beef for over a decade. Lamb was too expensive to substitute for beef, so after finding it at the local markets, learning how to properly cook it (which is an art form in itself), I never looked back.
Due to its taste, you become satiated with a much smaller serve. It's just as versatile as beef, so I've had it in tacos, stews, stroganoff, you name it.
Only problem is when you try and have roo burgers. The lack of fat makes the patty very crumbly, so you need to use an extra egg and some flour to help bind it together.
For those wondering what it tastes like, best comparison I can think of would be elk/deer.
Dark red meat, very strong and pronounced flavour, and should be served rare-medium rare. "Blue" is just asking for trouble, as being game meat, you could end up with a parasite, and well-done is just sacrilege.
Partner it with steamed veg, sweet potato, and either red wine or a robust dark ale/porter, and it's a meal fit for royalty.
Genius by birth. Evil by choice.