This can have huge benefits for the heart

Perhaps the most animated debate about health and well-being is whether we should eat meat or not. If so, what kind? If not why not And if you want to rely on scientific data, you may need to sift through information to find a clear answer. You will probably get as many opinions as facts.

But if you are looking for another reason to choose plants or want to know more about the benefits of an herbal diet, you're in luck! A new study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Purdue University found that trading red meat for healthy plant proteins in your diet could reduce your risk of heart disease. Great, no?

According to its authors, this study is the "first meta-badysis of randomized controlled trials examining the effects of red meat on health by substituting it for other types of specific foods". In other words, the researchers looked at data from similar studies done in the past, but were careful to avoid the conflicting results they obtained.

"The results of randomized controlled trials evaluating the effect of red meat on risk factors for cardiovascular disease were inconsistent," said Marta Guasch-Ferré, lead author of the study. "But our new student, who specifically compares diets rich in red meat and those rich in other types of food, shows that replacing red meat with high quality protein sources leads to more changes in cardiovascular risk factors." .

In terms of specificities, the study included data from 1,803 participants in 36 randomized controlled trials. They compared people whose diet included red meat to those who ate more of other types of food (such as chicken, fish, carbohydrates, or vegetable proteins such as legumes, soy or nuts). From there, they examined cholesterol levels in the blood, as well as triglycerides, lipoproteins and blood pressure, risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

The researchers found that people with high-quality vegetable protein diets (legumes, soy and nuts) had lower levels of total cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol compared to diets containing red meat. "The results are consistent with long-term epidemiological studies showing lower risk of heart attacks when nuts and other vegetable sources of protein are compared to red meat," the authors noted.

While this may not convince you to give up red meat forever, it is certainly a reason to reduce your consumption. The authors of the study recommend sticking to a healthy diet, vegetarian or Mediterranean, especially because of their health benefits and the sustainability of their diet. They also recommend that we all stop asking if the red meat is bad or not, but rather eat healthier.

"Ask" Is red meat good or bad? "Is useless," said Meir Stampfer, lead author of the study. "It must be" compared to what? "If you replace burgers with cookies or fries, you will not be healthier, but if you replace red meat with healthy sources of vegetable protein, such as nuts and beans, you get a health benefit. . "