Most people consider turkey, chicken, and fish healthier than beef and they believe they have to stop eating beef, because they think ALL saturated fat is bad…..the good news is that almost half of the fat in beef is a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid—the same heart-healthy fat that’s found in olive oil.
That means there is GOOD NEWS for those hoping to improve their diet with quality protein and beef is a quality protein choice…..
Healthy Beef is NOT a myth….check out the facts about beef and nutrition. It is good news and important news for health…
For instance, most of the saturated fat in beef actually decreases the risk of heart-disease—by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol or by reducing the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL (good) cholesterol because almost 50% is a fat called oleic acid (just like in olive oil), and it has CLA, which is an anti-cancer fighting agent found in beef.
MORE good news is that beef is one of the most available sources of high-quality protein, beef also provides many important nutrients such as iron, zinc, and B vitamins. And the quality of the iron is far superior to that found in plant sources….
And for pregnant women, protein (eg: beef) is necessary for the brain development of the fetus….one nutritionist has said that protein IS brain food for the baby…..let alone that it improves cognition in children and is a great diet food, offering satisfaction while not being high in calories….CHOOSING lean beef is not hard to do, either, these days: there are 29 cuts of lean beef!!
One interesting website that offers nutritional benefits of beef is:
An interesting fact the website points out is about Protein Quality…..and beef scores 142 on the quality of its protein….that is a very high score…this is what is written about
Protein Quality
Protein Quality is dependent on having all the essential amino acids in the proper proportions. If one or more amino acids are not present in sufficient amounts, the protein in a food is considered incomplete. Diets that are very low in protein or that are very restrictive in the types of protein consumed (e.g., vegetarian diets) may not provide complete protein.
Each spoke on the Protein Quality Indicator™ represents one of the nine essential amino acids. The size of each spoke is proportionate to the percentage of the optimal level for that amino acid. The amino acid with the lowest level is considered the “limiting” amino acid for that food and determines the overall Amino Acid Score.
How to Use the Protein Quality Indicator™
If the Amino Acid Score is less than 100, a link is provided to “complementary” sources of protein. These are foods that are higher in the limiting amino acid(s) and/or lower in the amino acids most prevalent in the food. By combining complementary proteins, you may be able to increase the overall quality of the protein you consume.
Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/help/analysis-help#protein-quality#ixzz2jDaoD755
Other websites that have information and review the studies on beef and the importance of meat in a healthy diet include these (well worth looking at!):
