Eating Lean Beef Lowers LDL Cholesterol

Consuming a diet including lean beef every day is as effective in lowering total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol as the heart-healthy Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers at Penn State University conducted The BOLD clinical study, which evaluated adults with moderately elevated cholesterol levels, measuring the impact of diets including varying amounts of lean beef on total and LDL cholesterol levels.

Study participants experienced a 10% decrease in LDL cholesterol compared to baseline in two different beef diets containing 4 ounces (BOLD) and 5.4 ounces (BOLD-PLUS) of lean beef daily with both diets providing less than 7% of calories from saturated fat. After five weeks, there were significant reductions in total and LDL cholesterol.

“The BOLD study provides new research that health professionals can use to update their dietary recommendations with scientific findings showcasing how lean beef can maintain and even improve heart health," said Brian Healey, cow-calf producer from Davis, Okla. and vice-chair of the checkoff’s Joint Human Nutrition Research Committee. And research shows that when people include food they enjoy, like lean beef, they are more likely to stick to their heart-healthy diet longer."