Cholesterol-lowering effect of a low-fat diet containing lean beef is reversed by the addition of beef fat

Article Abstract:

Elevated blood cholesterol is a known risk factor for coronary heart disease, and a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol has been associated with high blood cholesterol. The public has been advised to limit the consumption of red meat, since it is generally high in saturated fat and cholesterol. However, this issue has recently become controversial, since some studies have reported that lean red meat does not have an adverse effect on blood cholesterol, and can actually be included in a low-fat diet. This study was designed to distinguish between consumption of lean beef and beef fat, as habits that may raise blood cholesterol. The subjects were five men and five women, all healthy and of stable weight. They began the five-week study on a very-low-fat diet that was high in lean beef (1.1 pounds per day). Their total blood cholesterol levels dropped significantly after only one week. The subjects continued this diet for a total of three weeks, and then in weeks four and five, beef drippings were gradually added to the diet. Blood cholesterol rose in response to the addition of beef fat. The type of cholesterol that dropped on the lean beef diet and rose when beef fat was added was low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol; there were only slight changes in high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. (LDL cholesterol is the type of cholesterol that is thought to raise the risk of coronary heart disease, while HDL cholesterol is thought to reduce the risk.) The findings demonstrate that it is the beef fat that raises blood cholesterol, and that lean beef (free of all visible fat) can be safely included in a diet designed to lower both blood cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. It should be noted that the diet must be otherwise low in saturated fats. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Composition, Low-fat diet, Low fat diet, Beef

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Plasma lipoprotein response to substituting fish for red meat in the diet

Article Abstract:

The relationship between dietary fat intake and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been well documented. Many studies have shown that diets high in fat content are associated with high levels of cholesterol in the blood, and that elevated cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of CHD. Epidemiological studies have reported that the incidence of CHD is greater in Western populations than in Japanese and Eskimo populations, and it has been suggested that the difference in the incidence of CHD is related to the type of diet consumed. The Japanese and Eskimos have diets that include larger quantities of fish and less red meat than is found in the typical Western diet. More recently, several studies have reported that fish oil can reduce blood cholesterol levels, while other studies have reported a relationship between eating meat and the incidence of heart disease. To determine the effect of diet on blood cholesterol levels, 28 volunteers followed a diet containing either red meat (RM) or fatty fish (FF) for six weeks. Blood cholesterol levels were measured before and during both diets. During the study period, the total daily energy intake was the same for both groups, but protein intake was higher for those following the RM diet. The ratio of polyunsaturated fat to saturated fat was almost twice as high in the FF diet as in the RM diet. Blood levels of total cholesterol, low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides were lower during the FF diet than the RM diet. The results of this study indicate that substituting fatty fish for red meat can lower blood cholesterol levels. In populations where the consumption of red meat is high and the incidence of CHD is high, substituting fatty fish for some of the red meat may be beneficial. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Fish as food, Fish (Food product), Diet

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Ingestion of different types of fat in the evening meal does not affect metabolic responses to a standard breakfast

Article Abstract:

The primary goals of treating diabetes are to maintain blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible and to avoid the extreme highs and lows, which can occur when diet and insulin are not properly coordinated. An individual's pattern of blood sugars is known as metabolic control. In diabetics, high-fat diets are known to cause a worsening of metabolic control over time; this occurs because dietary fat increases the body's resistance to insulin. It also appears that the type of fat in the diet is important, with evidence that olive oil (which is monounsaturated) and highly polyunsaturated fats lead to better metabolic control than other fats. To test the effects of a high-fat dinner on metabolic response following breakfast the next day, 8 young, nondiabetic subjects were examined by testing their responses to six dinners: standard dinner; standard dinner with an additional 75 grams carbohydrate; and standard dinners with an extra 41 grams of either safflower oil, butter, olive oil, or medium-chain triglycerides. The last four dinners were considered high-fat meals. The responses measured were blood glucose, insulin, and free fatty acids, and testing took place after the standard breakfast was consumed the next morning. No differences were found among the six dinners in terms of response after breakfast. This indicates that a single high-fat meal, regardless of type of fat, had no adverse effect on metabolic response to breakfast the next day. A high-fat diet may only have negative effects when consumed over the long term. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Diabetics, Food, Diabetes, Diabetes mellitus, Food and nutrition, Blood sugar, Blood glucose, Control, Metabolic regulation

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