The Impact of Daily Beef Consumption on Health
Eating beef every day may not be as harmful as once thought. Red meat has long been associated with risks to cardiometabolic health, including heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. These conditions affect more than 160 million Americans, with over 36 million living with Type 2 diabetes.
However, a study conducted by researchers at Indiana University suggests that consuming 6-7 ounces of beef daily – a slightly smaller portion than a typical ribeye steak – does not affect risk factors for Type 2 diabetes. This finding challenges previous assumptions about the negative impact of red meat on health.
“Results from this gold standard randomized controlled trial build on existing scientific evidence that shows eating beef as part of a healthy dietary pattern supports heart health and does not adversely impact measures of blood sugar regulation or inflammation,” said Kevin Maki, an adjunct professor in the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, in a statement.
“When beef is consumed as part of a healthy dietary pattern, it helps fill essential nutritional gaps and does not adversely impact the cardiometabolic risk profile compared to poultry,” he added.
Study Details and Methodology
The trial focused on prediabetic adults and was relatively small, involving seven women and 17 men aged between 18 and 74. Researchers initially measured levels of the hormones insulin and glucagon, as well as insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
Type 2 diabetes typically occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels and enables cells to use blood sugar for energy. Progressively deteriorating beta cell function is also a sign that prediabetes has progressed to Type 2 diabetes.
Participants then followed a 28-day diet plan where they consumed two meals a day, each containing 3-3.5 ounces of cooked beef or poultry. The meals included fajitas, stew, burgers, burritos, and stir fry. After a 28-day break, they repeated the process.
No differences were found in beta cell function or insulin sensitivity after these periods.
Expert Opinions and Funding Sources
“The study findings suggest that regular beef intake does not adversely affect metabolic or inflammatory risk factors compared with poultry in an at-risk prediabetic population,” said Indika Edirisinghe, a professor of food science and nutrition at Illinois Institute of Technology.
The research was funded by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, which had no involvement in the study. It was released shortly after the Trump administration’s dietary guidelines, which placed animal protein at the top of the food pyramid.
Three of the guideline’s authors had financial relationships with the association, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
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