White is just as dangerous as red meat
It turns out the red or white meat debate is a draw.
Scientists now rule that even that piece of chicken you replaced your roast beef with will have an identical effect on your cholesterol level as eating red meat.
Exactly four years since science ‘declared’ that red and processed meat can cause cancer, especially in Africa, a new research published on Tuesday suggests that white meat such as poultry also has a harmful effect on blood cholesterol levels.
The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that consuming high levels of red meat or white poultry resulted in higher blood cholesterol levels than consuming a comparable amount of plant proteins.
“I was surprised that the effect of white meat on cholesterol levels was identical to the effects of red meat,” said Dr Ronald Krauss, study author and director of atherosclerosis research at Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute.
PLANT PROTEINS
Saturated fats, most of which come from animal sources (butter, beef fat and poultry skin), increase the concentration of “bad” cholesterol in one’s bloodstream which can result in a heart attack or stroke.
“Our new finding was that the level of LDL cholesterol was the same with both red meat and white meat, and that the LDL level was lower with plant-based protein,” Dr Krauss told science website Gizmodo.
According to the new study, plant proteins such as vegetables, dairy and legumes, including beans, show the best benefit as they had the healthiest impact on blood cholesterol.
In 2015, the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer warned that processed meats such as bacon, sausages and ham can cause cancer.
CANCER
In its statement, the agency said there was enough evidence to rank processed meat in the same category as asbestos, alcohol, arsenic and tobacco.
The agency also said there was evidence that eating a lot of red meat (beef, lamb and pork) could expose one to cancers of the colon, pancreas and even prostate.
But it is not all doom and gloom for meat lovers, as the University of California, San Francisco, researchers said the long-held belief that eating white meat is less harmful for your heart may still hold true; because there may be other effects from eating red meat that contribute to cardiovascular diseases.
So, those who eschew steak in favour of chicken because they think it’s healthier may put lean beef back on the menu.
In the recent study, 113 adults were randomly assigned to one of three diets for one month: rich in lean cuts of beef, lean cuts of chicken or turkey, or plant proteins.
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