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Researchers find red meat is good for your health

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)– A new health study may be answering the question: “Is eating red meat good for you?”

Researchers at Purdue University have found a Mediterranean-style diet that can improve the wellness of your heart without cutting the meat out.

Purdue Nutrition Science Professor Wayne Campbell admitted many Americans do not eat a healthy diet. According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, 93.3 million U.S. adults are obese.

“They tend to be at risk or at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease and developing diabetes,” said Campbell.

“One of those eating patterns that are shown with very strong science is to help improve a person’s health profile is to consume what we can a Mediterranean diet.”

He said he doesn’t want the name to stop people from trying the meats. The process actually involves everyday items you’d buy at the grocery store.

“It’s a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, in whole grains, nuts and beans and other legumes,” said Campbell. 

But the debate Purdue researchers wanted to solve: Is consuming red meat with the diet good or bad?

“When people that live in Indiana change from their usual diets to consuming a Mediterranean diet, what happens to their health profiles?”

What researchers found is that choosing lean and unprocessed red meat was the answer, not cutting it out completely. Project manager Lauren O’Connor said participants noticed results in just five weeks.

“A lot of people said you know, I wouldn’t think I would enjoy this much fruits and vegetables but they really did like it,” said O’Connor.

Those in the study saw improvements in blood pressure, lipids, and lipoproteins. Changes Professor Campbell advises everyone should get behind.

“People can enjoy more red meat than what is commonly recommended and still have the health-promoting effects,” said Campbell.