Lean beef 'can feature in heart-healthy diet'
Men who are trying to put together some heart-healthy diet plans may welcome the news that lean beef need not necessarily be excluded.Researchers at Pennsylvania State University in the US studied a group of adults with moderately raised cholesterol levels in order to assess the effect of diets with various amounts of lean beef.
They found that people who consumed 4oz or 5.4oz of lean beef each day typically experienced a ten per cent decrease in their levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL or 'bad cholesterol').
Principal investigator Dr Penny Kris-Etherton, professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University, said: "This research sheds new light on evidence supporting lean beef's role in a heart-healthy diet.
"Study participants ate lean beef every day and still met targets for saturated fat intake. This study shows that nutrient-rich lean beef can be included as part of a heart-healthy diet that improves risk factors for cardiovascular disease."
The findings, which are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, will come as a surprise to many, as dieticians tend to advise people to limit their consumption of red meat, particularly if they are trying to lose weight or improve their heart health.
For instance, NHS experts say that while red meat is a good source of protein, iron and vitamin B12, it can also be high in saturated fat, which can raise blood cholesterol levels.
