MD RANTS

By Steve Blechman

WTF? The Real Beef on the New Red Meat Study

A most recent study published in the October 1, 2019 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine concluded that the evidence isn’t strong enough to recommend people reduce their intake of red meat or processed meats. WTF? The study and researchers were criticized by prominent U.S. scientists and researchers. The researchers of the study reported on four reviews examining the links and association between red meat, cardiovascular disease and cancer risk! The researchers found that increased risk of eating meat is small. This is an extremely controversial study, and will no doubt confuse the public. Public health officials have recommended in the past to limit consumption of red meat and processed meats because of concerns that it is linked to heart disease and cancer as well as other diseases. In an article published in The New York Times, The Times spoke to researchers at Harvard University that reported the results of the study, and acknowledged that the study can “harm the credibility of nutrition science and erode the public trust on scientific research.”

The shortcoming of the study was that it was an observational study where researchers questioned what people eat, and link cardiovascular health and cancer risk. People don’t always remember what they ate. Observational studies don’t prove cause and effect. The gold standard when it comes to scientific research studies is a randomized clinical trial.

So, is red meat good for you based on this latest observational study, when the research doesn’t prove so? It was mentioned in the media that the lead author of the study had done work for the food industry, which some feel can be a conflict of interest, but the researchers reported at the end of the study no conflicts of interest, and without outside funding.

What I have learned reviewing the research over the years is that you could always design a study to prove a point! For instance, if the study were done with all meat, not just red meat but white meat from poultry and whole eggs, would the outcome have been different? Research has shown that arachidonic acid, a polyunsaturated fat, is essential for normal growth and development in the human body. Too much arachidonic acid in the diet has been strongly linked to inflammation and a higher risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases. The richest dietary source of arachidonic acid is white meat such as poultry (i.e., chicken and turkey). The second highest amounts of arachidonic acid in the diet are whole eggs, found in the yolk! Beef is the third largest contributor of arachidonic acid, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Research has shown that the amount of arachidonic acid found in just one whole egg a day raises arachidonic acid in the blood. A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported in a randomized study in 113 healthy adults (aged 21-65) that white meat resulted in the same increase of LDL (bad cholesterol) and total cholesterol as red meat. There was no benefit on LDL cholesterol consuming white meat over red meat. This is a very important study because people with high risk of cardiovascular disease often think that white meat is healthier and better for lowering LDL cholesterol than red meat! How many people do you know who think that white meat is healthier than red meat for the prevention of cardiovascular disease? In fact, white meat might be worse than red meat because of the amount of arachidonic acid in white meat such as poultry (i.e., chicken and turkey). Duck actually has the highest levels of arachidonic acid!

So, are you confused by the research presented in the media? What the F*ck?! And get this, arachidonic acid found in white meat has been shown in the scientific research to enhance muscle growth! I have always said, what’s good for bodybuilding may not be good for your health! For years, the traditional staple of a bodybuilding diet has been chicken breast and rice. Eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman ate chicken breast and rice with every meal. So, what is a bodybuilder to do? If you don’t have a family history of cardiovascular disease, or elevated LDL cholesterol, the bodybuilding benefits of chicken breast or other white meats far exceed the risk!

The bottom line is don’t believe everything that you read in the media on the latest scientific studies. Like I said before, the gold standard for medical research and evidence in scientific research conclusions is based on randomized double-blind clinical trials, and not observational studies. The most recent Annals of Internal Medicine study on red meat is an observational study and does not prove that red meat is not bad for you when it comes to heart disease and cancer! WTF?!

DO YOU AGREE WITH STEVE? LET US KNOW IN THE FORUMS!

References:

1. Johnston BC, Zeraatkar D, Han MA et al. Unprocessed Red Meat and Processed Meat Consumption: Dietary Guideline Recommendations From the Nutritional Recommendations (NutriRECS) Consortium. Ann Intern Med 2019; [Epub, ahead of print 1 October 2019]. doi: 10.7326/M19-1621

2. Nelson JR and Raskin S. The eicosapentaenoic acid:arachidonic acid ratio and its clinical utility in cardiovascular disease. Postgraduate Medicine 2019; 131:4, 268-277, DOI: 10.1080/00325481.2019.1607414

3. Eat Less Red Meat, Scientists Said. Now Some Believe That Was Bad Advice by Gina Kolata October 1, 2019 NY Times https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/30/health/red-meat-heart-cancer.html