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Why Red Meat is bad

Is the only reason Red Meat is not the best for you is because of the saturated fat found in it? Are there other reasons or if you removed all saturated fat from red meat (somehow if it’s even possible) would it be just as good as chicken?

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Answer

It’s possible to get rid of a lot of the saturated fat by eating wild animals that aren’t force fed and given growth hormones. Animals that eat natural diets and are in danger of predation are much leaner.

Answer

This is from a screenshot I took recently of a Men’s Health article but I be damned if I can dredge up the link now: “Compared to white meat or vegetarian protein sources, red meat triggers the body to produce more of the gut bacteria trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) during digestion. High amounts of TMAO in the body has been associated with increased risk for heart attacks and stroke, according to the Cleveland Clinic.”

This article appears to go further in depth however: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/eating-red-meat-daily-triples-heart-disease-related-chemical

Answer

On its own, it isn’t “bad.”

It tends to get a bad rap for a few reasons.

  1. it tends to be more caloric (compared to white meat, and most fish)

  2. people tend to associate it with more fatty cuts compared to poultry

  3. lots of people just don’t digest red meat very well

  4. there is a belief that it is linked to colon cancer, though we’ve never proven this directly

Answer

Red meat, such as beef, pork, and lamb, tend to have higher levels of AGEs than poultry, fish, or plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and grains. This is because red meat contains more protein and fat than other foods, and these substances are more prone to forming AGEs when cooked at high temperatures.

Consuming high levels of AGEs has been linked to various health problems, including inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance. Therefore, it is recommended to limit the intake of red meat and cook it at lower temperatures, such as grilling or baking instead of frying or broiling, to reduce the formation of AGEs.

Red meat tends to have more advanced glycation end products (AGEs) than other types of food. AGEs are formed when sugars react with proteins, lipids, or nucleic acids in a process called glycation, which occurs naturally in the body but also occurs when foods are cooked at high temperatures.

~ GPT

Answer

No, there are many other reasons why red meat may not be the best for you. Besides the saturated fat, red meat typically contains high levels of cholesterol which has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Additionally, large consumption of red meat has been associated with increased risk for certain cancers such as colorectal. Even if you were able to remove all the saturated fat from red meat, it likely would still not be as beneficial as chicken or other sources of lean proteins.

Answer

Besides saturated fat, red meat is also a major source of carnitine, which promotes atherosclerosis (link).

Red meat is also associated with various cancers:

>High intakes of meats, especially red meat and grilled meat, are associated with an increased risk of colorectal, kidney, pancreatic, and stomach cancers. The saturated fat content of red meat, and the production of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., enzopyrene) when meats are charbroiled, may increase the risk of cancers.

From Wardlaw.

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