People who follow a Mediterranean-style eating plan that incorporates lean red meat can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. That’s according to new research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study compared Mediterranean-style red meat intake, typically three ounces per day, to a lower intake of three ounces twice a week. The research showed that consuming up to 18 ounces of lean red meat per week lowered cholesterol and lowered blood pressure while following the Mediterranean-style eating pattern.
Lauren O’Connor, the lead author and a student at Purdue University, says participants’ LDL cholesterol, which is one of the strongest predictors of possible cardiovascular disease, improved with a typical, but not lower, red meat intake. O’Connor says, “Overall, heart health indicators improved with a Mediterranean-style eating pattern.” The study concluded that adults who are overweight or moderately obese people may improve multiple cardiometabolic disease risk factors by adopting a Mediterranean-style diet, with or without reductions in red meat intake when those red meats are lean and unprocessed.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.