In the first study of its kind, researchers at Pennsylvania State University demonstrated that eating beef everyday as part of a heart-healthy diet can improve cholesterol levels in the BOLD (beef in optimal lean diet) study.
Dr. Gary Meyerrose, Texas Tech Professor with the Department of Cardiology, said people should consider a few factors of the study before they pile their plates up with red meat.
"If you look at the study, it was a small number of people, I believe it was 36 people and it was done for five weeks. So to make any real, big conclusions from it is difficult," Dr. Meyerrose said.
Dr. Meyerrose said the cut of the beef is another concern.
"It included people that ate lean meats, so that means you have to cut all the fat off," Dr. Meyerrose said.
The quantity of beef study participants dished up is yet another heavy influence.
"They only used a small amount of beef. They used 4 ounces in the one type of diet and 5.4 ounces of beef in the other type of diet," Dr. Meyerrose said.
Although beef provides ten essential nutrients, Dr. Meyerrose said the key to including beef as part of a heart-healthy diet is practicing moderation.
"We need a well balanced diet, and the biggest thing we have a problem with is that we eat too many calories. If you go out and eat a 36 ounce steak everyday, that may be bad for you," Dr. Meyerrose said.
It's good to consider other aspects that may have impacted the results of the study, like personal activity level.
"What made the difference in their diet that they saw the benefit with the beef? There was probably a restriction in calories; they had the patient start exercising," Dr. Meyerrose said.
Dr. Meyerrose said as long as portion control is maintained, lean beef can contribute to heart vitality.
"It's not unreasonable that beef is a good product to eat. It's just that if you eat it in excess, just like you eat anything in excess, it's going to be bad," Dr. Meyerrose said.
The BOLD study will appear in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in January.
