THE MEAT OF THE MATTER

White meat, like poultry, was thought to have little eff­ect on our heart disease risk, compared to red meat, but a new study challenges that assumption. Researchers from the University of California San Francisco had 113 healthy adults consume either a diet high in saturated fat or one low in saturated fat, where protein came either from red meat, white meat or non-meat sources. Across both diets, red meat and white meat resulted in the same levels of total cholesterol and ‘bad’ cholesterol – in other words, there was no benefit to sticking to white meat to lower cholesterol. Researchers say that restricting meat altogether is more advisable for lowering blood cholesterol levels than previously thought, and that a plant-based diet featuring vegetables, dairy and legumes has the best benefits for cholesterol.