HEALTH CONCERNS ABOUT MEAT
What's the beef with meat? This question can be answered in two nutritional words: fat and cholesterol.
Too much fat. No matter how you slice it, meat is high in fat. Unlike milk, in which you can separate out part or all of the fat, you can never get rid of all the fat in meat, no matter how well you trim it. Even the lean parts are laced with fat. Extra lean select-grade beef contains around seven percent fat.
Wrong fat. Not only is there too much fat in meat, it's the wrong kind. Nearly half the fat in meat is the artery-clogging, saturated type. And, of course, meat is also high in cholesterol. Beef fat is more saturated than poultry fat because the bacteria in the ruminant stomach of cattle hydrogenate, or saturate, the fats in the plants that cows eat. It's like having a fat factory inside the food source.
Fat without fiber. Unlike meat, plant foods that are low in fat and high in fiber tend to pass through the intestines rapidly, causing less upset and fewer problems, such as gastroesophageal reflux. Meat has a double fault. It's high in fat and contains no fiber, so it takes longer to empty from the stomach and pass through the intestines. While most people do not experience indigestion from meat, those who suffer from reflux should not eat much meat, as it may aggravate the problem.
Problems with protein. Not only are the fats in meat unhealthy, meat proteins have also recently come under fire. Recent evidence suggests that animal proteins increase blood cholesterol levels, while plant proteins, especially soy, decrease them. Meats contain high levels of the amino acid L-lysine, which increases insulin production, prompting the liver to release fat and cholesterol into the bloodstream. If L-lysine is experimentally added to animal diets, blood cholesterol levels increase by over fifty percent and the animals get plump. Studies show that substituting 30 grams of soy protein daily for a meat meal dramatically reduces cholesterol levels. So, the Japanese may have lower cholesterol levels than Americans, not only because they eat less meat, but also because they eat more soy. The quality of meat protein ranks below that of egg white, fish, and dairy products.
What's the beef with meat? This question can be answered in two nutritional words: fat and cholesterol.
Too much fat. No matter how you slice it, meat is high in fat. Unlike milk, in which you can separate out part or all of the fat, you can never get rid of all the fat in meat, no matter how well you trim it. Even the lean parts are laced with fat. Extra lean select-grade beef contains around seven percent fat.
Wrong fat. Not only is there too much fat in meat, it's the wrong kind. Nearly half the fat in meat is the artery-clogging, saturated type. And, of course, meat is also high in cholesterol. Beef fat is more saturated than poultry fat because the bacteria in the ruminant stomach of cattle hydrogenate, or saturate, the fats in the plants that cows eat. It's like having a fat factory inside the food source.
Fat without fiber. Unlike meat, plant foods that are low in fat and high in fiber tend to pass through the intestines rapidly, causing less upset and fewer problems, such as gastroesophageal reflux. Meat has a double fault. It's high in fat and contains no fiber, so it takes longer to empty from the stomach and pass through the intestines. While most people do not experience indigestion from meat, those who suffer from reflux should not eat much meat, as it may aggravate the problem.
Problems with protein. Not only are the fats in meat unhealthy, meat proteins have also recently come under fire. Recent evidence suggests that animal proteins increase blood cholesterol levels, while plant proteins, especially soy, decrease them. Meats contain high levels of the amino acid L-lysine, which increases insulin production, prompting the liver to release fat and cholesterol into the bloodstream. If L-lysine is experimentally added to animal diets, blood cholesterol levels increase by over fifty percent and the animals get plump. Studies show that substituting 30 grams of soy protein daily for a meat meal dramatically reduces cholesterol levels. So, the Japanese may have lower cholesterol levels than Americans, not only because they eat less meat, but also because they eat more soy. The quality of meat protein ranks below that of egg white, fish, and dairy products.