A
Akira
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Fat in meats is commonly grouped as saturated, although saturated acids actually account for less than 50% of the total fatty acids in red meats. Stearic acid (1) constitutes one-quarter to one-third of the saturated fatty acids in beef.
Classifying foods as hypercholesterolemic, or cholesterol-raising, based on the amount of saturated fatty acid, rather than considering constituent (2) fatty acids, tends to overstate the potential of red meats to raise cholesterol. Oleic acid (3), a monounsaturated fatty acid that makes up 45% of the total fatty acids in beef, has actually been shown to have cholesterol-lowering effect.
Studies of healthy subjects showed that there was no difference, in the blood levels of total and HDL cholesterol, between those who ate beef and those who did not. Other research demonstrated that diets containing moderate amounts of lean red meat were effective in lowering serum total and LDL cholesterol levels in men.
What all this means to you as a bodybuilder or enthusiast is simply that avoiding red meat because you think it?s too fat is vastly simplifying a truly complex food item. The truth is, if you choose a lean cut like round steak and trim all visible fat before cooking, it ends up having the same fat content as chicken.
Reference: Bill Reynolds 1991 book ?SLICED?
Classifying foods as hypercholesterolemic, or cholesterol-raising, based on the amount of saturated fatty acid, rather than considering constituent (2) fatty acids, tends to overstate the potential of red meats to raise cholesterol. Oleic acid (3), a monounsaturated fatty acid that makes up 45% of the total fatty acids in beef, has actually been shown to have cholesterol-lowering effect.
Studies of healthy subjects showed that there was no difference, in the blood levels of total and HDL cholesterol, between those who ate beef and those who did not. Other research demonstrated that diets containing moderate amounts of lean red meat were effective in lowering serum total and LDL cholesterol levels in men.
What all this means to you as a bodybuilder or enthusiast is simply that avoiding red meat because you think it?s too fat is vastly simplifying a truly complex food item. The truth is, if you choose a lean cut like round steak and trim all visible fat before cooking, it ends up having the same fat content as chicken.
(1) - a white crystalline fatty acid C18H36O2 obtained by saponifying tallow or other hard fats containing stearin; also : a commercial mixture of stearic and palmitic acids
(2) - an essential part
(3) - a monounsaturated fatty acid C18H34O2 found in natural fats and oils
(2) - an essential part
(3) - a monounsaturated fatty acid C18H34O2 found in natural fats and oils
Reference: Bill Reynolds 1991 book ?SLICED?
