We’ve heard a lot about the Mediterranean Diet – how it’s great for heart health and longevity. But, until now, Red Meat has not been allowed under the popular Diet regime. Fortunately for Meat lovers, a new study shows that you can have Red Meat and still enjoy the benefits of the Med Diet…
Red Meat is now in the picture as part of a Mediterranean Diet regime – provided it’s
lean and unprocessed, and you limit the amount you eat.
Used to be, you had to stick to Poultry, Fish and Seafood to stay officially on the Mediterranean Diet. But a new study reveals that it’s not Red Meat, itself, that is unhealthy, but the kind of Red Meat you eat.
“This study is important because it shows that red meat can be part of a heart-healthy eating pattern like a Mediterranean-style [diet regime],” said Wayne W. Campbell, Professor of Nutrition Science at Perdue University. “[The] study was not designed to promote red meat intake, and we are not encouraging people who otherwise consume a vegetarian-style eating pattern to begin consuming red meat.”
What they did…
The study assessed the health-promoting effects of a Mediterranean-style eating pattern, without intended weight loss, for adults who are overweight and at risk for developing heart disease. All 41 study participants – 28 females and 13 males – completed three study phases. The phases included a five-week period of consuming a Mediterranean-style eating pattern containing three ounces per day of lean, unprocessed red meat, an amount of red meat the typical United States resident consumes; a five-week return to their regular eating pattern; and a five-week period of consuming a Mediterranean-style eating pattern with less red meat, three ounces twice weekly, which is commonly recommended for heart health.
What they found…
“Overall, heart health indicators improved with both Mediterranean-style eating patterns. Interestingly, though, participants’ LDL cholesterol, which is one of the strongest predictors we have to predict the development of cardiovascular disease, improved with typical but not lower red meat intake,” Campbell reports. “It’s also very encouraging that the improvements these people experienced — which included improvements in blood pressure, blood lipids and lipoproteins — were noticeable in five weeks.”
He also notes that the Red Meat you eat on the Med Diet must be lean and unprocessed to qualify you for the diet’s health benefits.
My take…
Campbell’s findings seem logical – even intuitive. If you live near the sea in Italy, for example, you’re going to eat more Fish and Seafood. If you live up in the central mountains, you’re naturally going to gravitate toward Red Meat.
But I think the pronouncement Campbell makes – almost a footnote – that reduced Red Meat intake is crucial, deserves more of the credit for Heart Healthy results cited in the study participants.
At the root of all healthy-eating regimes lies the core recommendations for the Med Diet: lots of of Olive Oil, Fruit, Vegetables and Legumes.
And I hasten to add, another recent study had shown that Pasta is NOT really a fattening carb. It’s all about how you eat it and what you eat it with!.
~ Maggie J.