White meat has the same impact as red meat on "bad" cholesterol

A new study is bad news for dieters monitoring their heart health: white meat has the same impact on cholesterol levels as red meat. The research comes from the University of California at San Francisco, where scientists have discovered that consuming poultry in place of red meats such as beef and pork still causes an increase in blood cholesterol levels compared to people consuming vegetable proteins.

In the popular diet culture, white meat, like poultry, is widely regarded as a safe alternative to red meat, strongly linked to certain cancers and long-term heart health problems. The recently published study reveals that there is one myth: white meat increases cholesterol levels even in diets low in saturated fat.

The researchers found the results surprising, claiming that they expected red meat to have a greater negative impact on blood cholesterol levels. However, this is not the case for the effects of white and red meat described as "identical" in cases where saturated fat levels are similar. It should be noted that the fish was not included in this badessment.

As with many previous studies, this latest study has shown that vegetable protein is the best option to control cholesterol levels and thus help protect heart health. People at risk of developing heart disease or who already have high cholesterol levels should limit their meat intake, not just red meat, the study says.

The news comes amid a growing surge for herbal alternatives to traditional meat products, thinking that they were mostly revolving around red meat substitutes. Notably, the Burger King fast food franchise has announced its intention to offer the Impossible Burger nationally, and Nestle is preparing to launch its own plant-based alternative called Awesome Burger.