White meat can be as bad as red meat for cholesterol

According to a new study released Tuesday, switching from red meat to chicken to lower your cholesterol may not be a good strategy. It was found that people's cholesterol levels increased in the same way when they ate a diet containing red or white meat, compared to a diet without meat. However, this effect on cholesterol might not be as bad for the heart as it seems at first glance.

Researchers at the Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) at Children's Hospital recruited more than 100 healthy volunteers for their diet experience. They divided them into two large groups, one of the groups having a diet high in saturated fats, while the other having a poor diet in them. The two groups were then divided into three other lots.

For four weeks, chosen in random order, the volunteers would follow a diet rich in white meat, red meat or non-animal protein, then alternate with other diets. Along the way, their blood would be tested for total cholesterol as well as low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol – the "bad" cholesterol that can cause plaque buildup in our arteries and increase the risk of heart disease. and cerebrovascular accidents.

According to lead author of the study, Ronald Krauss, director of research on atherosclerosis at CHORI, it is the first study to directly compare the effects of red meat proteins , white meat and non-meat sources on cholesterol levels in diets where other essential nutrients kept constant and consumption of saturated fat was controlled. And what they found was surprising, given the conventional wisdom surrounding white meat.

"Our new discovery was that LDL cholesterol was the same with red meat and white meat and that LDL level was lower with vegetable protein," Krauss told Gizmodo by email. "These results were similar, whether the diets were rich or low in saturated fat. Thus, the result can be thought of as indicating either an effect of raising cholesterol in both meats, or a lowering effect of cholesterol from foods of plant origin, or both. "

The study was published Tuesday in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The effects of cholesterol on heart health, however, are not completely dry-cut, nor are foods that can affect cholesterol levels. There are actually different types of LDL, characterized by the size of their particles. And while small and medium-sized LDLs are strongly associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, the relationship is lower for large LDLs.

In this study, consumption of both types of meat resulted in an increase in LDL levels of large size, and not other types. The consumption of saturated fats has resulted in an increase in large LDL, but again, not smaller types.

"Therefore, using standard LDL cholesterol as a measure of cardiovascular risk may lead to an overestimate of this risk of high intakes of meat and saturated fat, as the LDL cholesterol test may preferentially reflect larger LDL particle levels, "said Krauss.

The study has some caveats. First, the team did not examine the effects of eating the other large white meat, fish, which often contains higher levels of healthy fatty acids, such as omega-3s, which are supposed to make lower cholesterol levels overall. They also did not study processed products often made from red meat, such as bacon or beef sausages. Either or both of these factors could have made the comparison more favorable for white meat.

However, since public health agencies have long recommended people to try to reduce their consumption of red meat and switch to white meat or vegetables as the main source of protein, the findings of this study have important implications. Although there may still be reasons to prefer white meat to red for health reasons (a lower risk of cancer, for once), the authors claim that their findings suggest that dieting rich in herbal protein could be the best way to keep your health. cholesterol in check.

"All we can say about our study is that if you try to lower your cholesterol, limiting white poultry meat can be as effective as limiting red meat," Krauss said. "And since the answers may differ from one individual to another, a cholesterol test is the best way to check how the diet works."