Contrary to the traditional belief that eating beef causes heart disease, a 2009 study in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that beef consumption actually does not predict heart disease risk. It can lead to excess body fat though, which does contribute to heart disease. Beef can be a part of a healthy diet, but you must choose the right cuts to avoid some of the issues negatively associated with red meat.
Fat
The biggest problem with beef is the fat content, or more specifically, the saturated fat. The marbling within and the white rim around a quality steak is what gives it the rich, distinctive taste that makes you crave steak, but it's all saturated fat, which contributes to heart disease. To stay in the safe zone, limit your consumption of saturated fat to no more than 10 percent of your daily calories--that's about 22g for a typical 2,000 calorie diet. A single 3-oz. serving of prime rib, rib eye or chuck steak has about 8g of saturated fat. Considering that most steaks are actually 6 to 8 oz., a single meal could give you 16 to 21g of saturated fat in one sitting.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a special type of fat. It has a waxy consistency that makes it more likely to stick to your artery walls, restricting the blood flow to your heart. It is important to keep your cholesterol intake below 300mg per day, but people at an increased risk for heart disease should stay below 200mg per day. Three ounces of a shoulder roast has 90mg of cholesterol, and the same size serving of brisket has 80mg. Doubling those amounts to account for a typical serving size, you get 160 to 180mg--almost an entire day's worth of cholesterol in a single meal.
Sodium
Sodium is salt, and your body needs it to properly transmit electrical signals throughout the body. Too much, though, raises your blood pressure and your risk for heart disease. You should keep your sodium intake below 2,300mg per day, but sodium can be sneaky--it's in many different kinds of food, especially processed or pre-packaged foods. A 3-oz. serving of beef varies from about 45 to 90mg of sodium depending upon the cut, but many people add salt or sodium-heavy seasonings during preparation or at the table. It's not that beef has too much sodium, it's just many other things you eat and drink do as well. When you add an 8-oz. steak coated with a tenderizing marinade or rub that has been brushed with salted butter during cooking, then salted at the table, your overall sodium consumption for the day can end up too high.
Making It Work
Used wisely, beef can be a part of your healthy diet. Cut back on your overall use--instead of making it a nightly staple, swap it out with fish or poultry most nights. Rather than make it the star of the meal, use smaller amounts to add flavor to dishes. Trim off all visible fats before cooking, and skip the salt crust, marinade and butter baste. Choose naturally leaner cuts like tenderloin, top round, flank, eye round or sirloin, and avoid heavy marbling--that's just fat you can't remove.
References
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Consumption of Red or Processed Meat Does Not Predict Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease; Results From a Cohort of British Adults in 1989 and 1999; Jessie Wagemakers, et al.; March 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy diet: End the guesswork with these nutritional guidelines; Feb. 22, 2011
- MayoClinic.com; Red meat -- no longer bad for us?; Jennifer Nelson, Katherine Zeratsky; June 4, 2010
- Wegmans: Meat Nutrition Facts
