June 7, 2019
White meat, like chicken, raises blood cholesterol levels as much as red meat. This is what concludes a new study published in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
A discovery for researchers
The results surprised researchers who expected red meat to have a more detrimental effect on blood cholesterol levels than white meat. They discovered that among the three diets studied: red meat, white meat and vegetable proteins, only the vegetable protein diet was associated with healthy cholesterol levels. The results showed that red and white meat diets similarly increased blood cholesterol levels.
During this study, the researchers examined 113 healthy participants. The latter were randomly assigned to a diet high or low in saturated fat. Each diet period lasted four weeks. Participants had blood tests at the start and end of their diet.
Cholesterol plays an important role for the body
Cholesterol is a fatty substance essential for the functioning of the body. However, it is important to distinguish two levels of cholesterol. HDL cholesterol, called “good cholesterol”, which is responsible for cleaning the arteries and transporting fat to the liver for subsequent elimination. LDL cholesterol, also called “bad cholesterol”, is the excess cholesterol that is deposited on the walls of blood vessels.
Too much cholesterol from saturated fat can build up in the blood vessels causing plaque to build up and increasing the risk of a heart attack and stroke. The researchers found that LDL particles increased more in red and white meat diets than in plant-based diets. To increase good cholesterol, it is important to reduce saturated fat present in cold meats, pastries or fatty meat and give more preference to monounsaturated fatty acids like olive oil, avocado or nuts.
Stephanie Haerts
Read also: Reducing your meat consumption: why?
