Why is red meat..?

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ForeverWillow
ForeverWillow Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
Bad for you? I have always heard that but never understood it since I am a country girl that has grown up on it. What is so bad, and can I still eat it most nights a week without bad stuff happening?
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  • pucenavel
    pucenavel Posts: 972 Member
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    According to my doctor, it's the triglycerides.

    From Wikipedia:

    In the human body, high levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream have been linked to atherosclerosis and, by extension, the risk of heart disease and stroke. However, the relative negative impact of raised levels of triglycerides compared to that of LDL:HDL ratios is as yet unknown. The risk can be partly accounted for by a strong inverse relationship between triglyceride level and HDL-cholesterol level.

    My triglyceride levels are half what they were 2 years ago - mostly I went from red meat 3-4 times a week to once a week.
  • ForeverWillow
    ForeverWillow Posts: 4
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    Isnt triglycerides another name for fat? Sorry If I sound dense I am just a little confused. So it is the mix of cholesterol and fat?
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,449 Member
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    The most popular cuts of read meet have loads of saturated fat. And people tend to eat 12 or 16 oz steak, or 8oz burgers instead of the 3-4 oz portions of meat you should have.

    I have low triglycerides and low iron. My doctor has encouraged me to eat more red meat, in moderate portions.

    If you eat a 4oz filet or a sirloin a few times a week (or a skirt steak) you'll have something pretty lean and it won't be too bad for you. Especially if it is grass-fed so it has higher omega-3 fats..

    Red meat 2x a day, 7 days a week isn't a good plan for your heart.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    Even the leanest cuts of beef (i.e. eye round), will still contain natural saturated fat.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    Isnt triglycerides another name for fat? Sorry If I sound dense I am just a little confused. So it is the mix of cholesterol and fat?

    http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=8880
  • ForeverWillow
    ForeverWillow Posts: 4
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    Isnt triglycerides another name for fat? Sorry If I sound dense I am just a little confused. So it is the mix of cholesterol and fat?

    http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=8880

    Thank you I think I knew it for the most part :smile:
  • ForeverWillow
    ForeverWillow Posts: 4
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    The most popular cuts of read meet have loads of saturated fat. And people tend to eat 12 or 16 oz steak, or 8oz burgers instead of the 3-4 oz portions of meat you should have.

    I have low triglycerides and low iron. My doctor has encouraged me to eat more red meat, in moderate portions.

    If you eat a 4oz filet or a sirloin a few times a week (or a skirt steak) you'll have something pretty lean and it won't be too bad for you. Especially if it is grass-fed so it has higher omega-3 fats..

    Red meat 2x a day, 7 days a week isn't a good plan for your heart.

    Ah that makes sense! I eat red meat maybe 4 times a week and measure a 4 oz serving of ground beef (93/7) or an eye of round steak from over the meat counter. I cannot stand the taste of the fat actually. So I should be fine then?
    Also, I have heard that saturated fats are something that needs to be avoided all together, a little isn't a big problem then eh? :smile:
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
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    I personally frown at the idea that certain types of food are "bad". Absolutes just don't really work for me when it comes to nutrition. Example: some people freak out about sugar and avoid even natural sugars in fruit. Consequently, they miss out on a lot of great vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, fibers, and of course taste! Same thing with fats. Fats can be a very healthy part of any diet, even the feared triglycerides. You don't really want to over-do it (unless you are trying for a ketogenic diet, in which case you DO want to overdue the fats)... but there is absolutely nothing wrong with eating butter, red meat, eggs, and other foods high in saturated fats and/or cholesterol, etc...

    The reality is, OBESITY has a bigger impact on heart disease, etc... than whether you eat a steak now and then. Losing weight with a classical calorie restrictive diet will help your heart. Losing weight by watching fats will help your heart. Losing weight by watching sugars/carbs will help your heart. You get the idea. So if you enjoy steak, eat it :D So long as you're watching those calories and losing weight.
  • agentscully514
    agentscully514 Posts: 616 Member
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    I get my lipids tested every six months (because of PCOS) and I eat red meats at least once a day. My recent bloodwork shows:

    Triglycerides 40
    LDL cholesterol 104
    HDL cholesterol 117 (not a typo)

    From everything I have learned, the main factor in your lipids is genetic. After that, take care of your body (watch the carbs and alcohol, and exercise a lot). the amount of red meat you EAT is not that big a deal, since most of the fats are what your own body creates.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,449 Member
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    For reference, this is my last one from a few months ago

    HDL CHOLESTEROL 74
    LDL CHOLESTEROL 93

    @agentscully51 what are you doing to get your HDL so high. :) And your triglycerides so low, my last test a year ago was in the 80s.
  • LolaGotThin
    LolaGotThin Posts: 111 Member
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    I read everywhere that it contributes to heart disease etc, but what I think (think) it comes down to is moderation. I love steak, myself and the rarer the better. Should I eat a whole 14 ounce steak? No, but there was a time when I devoured one, and regularly. So yeah, I was probably on the road to heart disease. I've cut it down A LOT. Red meat is pretty much only once a week and a 4 ounce portion (makes me a little sad but it's worth it!) and I think that I'm going to be just fine! Once all is said and done. ;)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,695 Member
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    Genetics determine if red meat is an issue for you. I eat red meat everyday and have not issues with high LDL, low HDL, and high triglycerides.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    Also, I have heard that saturated fats are something that needs to be avoided all together, a little isn't a big problem then eh? :smile:

    Saturated fats shouldn't be avoided altogether - that's trans fats. The recommendation here in the UK for saturated fats is 25g a day. Overall fat content is 70g for a woman, 90g for a man.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    For reference, this is my last one from a few months ago

    HDL CHOLESTEROL 74
    LDL CHOLESTEROL 93

    @agentscully51 what are you doing to get your HDL so high. :) And your triglycerides so low, my last test a year ago was in the 80s.


    Exercise will get your HDL up, up, up!!!
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    I eat eggs and red meat everyday, I have a family history of high cholesterolemy. My cholesterol levles are perfects. And for you information, the lipid / heart diseases link is not as clear cut as it was first thought. I even remember reading a reaserch paper with 50 000 participant where the women that had higher levels of bad cholesterol were 21% less likely to have heart diseases.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    Bad for you? I have always heard that but never understood it since I am a country girl that has grown up on it. What is so bad, and can I still eat it most nights a week without bad stuff happening?


    What you mean is:
    so delicious? I have always heard that other foods are good too but nothing really compares. Why is it so much better than rabbit food?

    Fix'd
  • CaveGal
    CaveGal Posts: 29 Member
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    Bad for you? I have always heard that but never understood it since I am a country girl that has grown up on it. What is so bad, and can I still eat it most nights a week without bad stuff happening?


    I've just been diagnosed with anemia and told by my doc to eat more red meat... so it can't be that bad ;-) Your body definitely needs it! Personally, I just dont like it...;-).
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    Like everything it's in moderation and the biggest issue with the US especially, is we don't know moderation. I try to eat lean red meats as my genetics put my LDL's high and triglycerides a bit high too. But my cholesterol is awesome.
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
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    Here's my own opinion based on reading entirely too many peer-reviewed studies: Red meat is actually good for you and saturated fat fears are basically hype.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    The debate on red meat has been going on for at least 30 years! A big part of it is that much red meat is higher in fat, along with the fact that many people in the US seem to think they need a huge "serving" to get by. But like the other posters mentioned, moderation is the key (and lean cuts).

    I remember about 20 years ago when ground turkey was all the rage - supposedly so much better for you than hamburger. Then someone pointed out that when it was made with the skin on (which is usually was unless you wanted to pay 2x as much) it was no better (in fat anyway) than beef. Its popularity declined soon after.

    Then there's the recent study that showed a link between red meat and cancer. Some vegetarians use this as a reason to say we should not eat meat. But the study only established correlation (there was a higher incidence of cancer among those who ate red meat), not causation (that red meat was the cause). There could be other factors linking the two - something that vegetarians are more likely to eat could help prevent cancer, there could be something genetic that leads those prone to cancer to crave red meat, or it could be coincidence (I haven't read the study itself, so I don't know how much they ruled out). I also didn't see anything about how much red meat the participants ate (or if they took that into consideration) or other such factors. So to me it's an interesting point, but not a convincing factor (I love my red meat).

    I think, as several poster above have said, that the key is moderation. If you eat small portions (3-4 oz) several times a week, and even splurge once in a while, it's not going to be awful for you. And if you balance your red meat with whole grains and plenty of vegetables, you're probably going to be fine!

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