Myth: Red Meat is Bad for Your Health
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Raise your hand if you've read somewhere that red meat is not good for your health. How about that you should consume it in moderation or cut it out entirely? I imagine you all raised your hands and if you didn't, cool! My myth busting job is done.
But for most of us who heard it, read it, or possibly even got it straight from the mouth of your doctor, we have some work to do to reshape your thoughts on red meat. Red meat is NOT the enemy it's made out to be, and here's why:
It's a source of vital minerals
Red meat is a wonderful source of bio-available (meaning easy for your body to absorb) minerals like iron and zinc. "But wait! We can get that from plants!" Yes, some plants like spinach and legumes have these minerals. However the body has to work hard to convert them into a form that we can use (1). Grass-fed beef is also a great source of omega-3's, vitamin B12, vitamin E, and creatine which are all very beneficial for our bodies and brains.
Red meat will not give you cancer
The notion that red meat will give you cancer does have a leg to stand on, but it's the shaky leg of a newborn deer. This thought was born on the over-simplified idea that red meat contains an amino acid called L-carnitine, which gets converted into a compound called TMAO when ingested. TMAO has been linked to cancer and heart disease in mice. HOWEVER this was in the context of a grain-rich diet, and even then the research isn't great.
To put it simply, the makeup of our gut bacteria depends on how we eat. Those who eat high grain diets will have different gut bacteria than those who don't. The research suggests red meat may have carcinogenic properties in the context of a grain-rich diet (1). So swap the bread for some greens and you'll reap the benefits of red meat without causing any harm.
It won't give you heart disease, either
I'm so happy that people are starting to grasp the idea that eating fat won't make you fat, but saturated fat still has a bad rap. This could be an entire post on its own, but I'll try to keep it simple.
Back in the 50's there was a "study" done by Ancel Keys suggesting consumption of saturated fat lead to raised cholesterol, raised cholesterol lead to heart disease, therefore saturated fat caused heart disease, bada bing bada boom.
This is a way oversimplified idea that doesn't hold up in modern day research. Heart disease is a complex web that involves inflammation, blood sugar, triglycerides, and a million other things -- not just cholesterol. Not to mention, saturated fat intake does raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, but it also raises HDL (good) cholesterol, too -- you know, the one that prevents heart disease. Keys' study has been debunked time and time again, but unfortunately it takes a long time for outdated ideas to die out (2).
"A nationwide study that looked at almost a quarter million adults admitted to hospitals with heart attacks found that almost 75% of these patients had LDL levels that were categorized as either "low" or "optimal" under the current cholesterol guidelines."
Dr. Mark Hyman, Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?
Bonus: Cows are not ruining the environment
A lot of vegans and vegetarians use the environment as an argument against the consumption of meat. It's widely (and falsely) reported that the production of methane from cow farts (seriously) contributes to over half of the greenhouse gas emissions in the country.
This could not be further from the truth. The 2017 EPA report on greenhouse gas emissions shows that cattle are responsible for roughly 3% of greenhouse gas emissions, with transportation (29%), electricity (28%), and industry (22%) rounding out the top three (3). Not even close to the reported 50+ percent. You want to help the environment? Get a Prius, but don't blame the meat eaters for the greenhouse gasses.
The Takeaway
Red meat got a bad name for unscientific reasons. These reasons have been debunked over and over again, and yet most of America still believes that it's bad for you.
Red meat consumed a few times per week will provide numerous benefits for your health and especially your brain. Buy it grass-fed if you can afford it, with organic as next best. Grass-fed (and especially grass-finished) beef will provide more of those good nutrients than conventionally raised beef. The organic label ensures that even if the cow was grain fed, at least it was fed organic grains without pesticides.
Eat the burger, order the steak, and do it without worry.
Sources:
1: Genius Foods by Max Lugavere with Dr. Paul Grewal
2: Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? by Dr. Mark Hyman