A Little Lean Beef Might Fit Into a Healthy Diet After All

Where’s The Beef?: For many of us, juicy burgers and ribeye steaks, delicious as they are, have become synonymous with heart disease. New research, however, offers a bit more nuance. A randomized trial published in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that lean, unprocessed beef eaten in small amounts may not increase cardiovascular risk when the rest of the diet follows a Mediterranean style.

The Study: Researchers followed 30 healthy adults who rotated through four eating patterns. Three were Mediterranean variations that included different amounts of lean beef, and one resembled a typical Western diet. The team then measured levels of TMAO, a compound connected to cardiovascular risk. All Mediterranean patterns produced lower TMAO levels than the Western diet, even when participants ate about 2 to 2.5 ounces of lean beef per day. 

The Takeaway: Lean beef can fit into a balanced eating pattern. If you include it, choose lean cuts and keep portions small. Pairing it with vegetables also keeps the overall meal aligned with a Mediterranean approach.

Keep In Mind: The trial involved relatively young, healthy adults, and used a small sample size so it’s not clear whether the same results would apply to older adults or those with existing cardiovascular disease.