Do people who consume "lean meats" know they're still eating a lot of cholesterol?

Question

Yesterday I read this blog post about how crazy it was that Wendy's has this burger with BACON on it and everyone kept going on about how artery clogging BACON was. People seem to have this notion that things like skinless chicken breast and fish and turkey are so much healthier for you than some other meats, when it doesn't seem like there's really that much of a difference overall when you look at the real killer (literally), CHOLESTEROL.
For example...
when you compare an ounce of several meats you find that they ALL have similar cholesterol levels.
CHICKEN BREAST 24MG/OZ
HAM 15MG/OZ
POT ROAST 27MG/OZ
BACON 30MG/OZ
SALMON 20MG/OZ
TURKEY BREAST 23MG/OZ
BEEF TENDERLOIN 20MG/OZ
Knowing that people who consume cholesterol (it's in all animal products including milk. cheese, eggs, etc.) have a high risk of dying because of cholesterol and assuming that people who eat leaner meats do so for health reasons, why do they continue to eat meat at all?

before anyone answers FOR E PROTEIN, please understand that there is protein in most foods, so that rationale doesn't really hold water. Is it that they don't really understand our body's protein needs or all the foods that contain protein, maybe?

Schwinn, I am a strict vegetarian - that means my diet is pretty much vegan.
FYI - we do not need animal cholesterol for our bodies to make the cholesterol we need. Meat has cholesterol because alll animals' bodies make cholesterol. We'd have cholesterol, too, if people ate us.

Schwinn, I am a strict vegetarian - that means my diet is pretty much vegan.
FYI - we do not need animal cholesterol for our bodies to make the cholesterol we need. Meat has cholesterol because alll animals' bodies make cholesterol. We'd have cholesterol, too, if people ate us.

Answer 1

I think that when people see the word "lean"t they automatically think its MUST be better because it says so right on the package. They don't really know whats good and whats bad for them.

Answer 2

While you are correct; Eating Lean Meat is to get rid of un-needed Fat not necessarily cholesterol.

Those who have a problem with cholesterol have the problem because their body does not eliminate cholesterol but recycles it and continues to manufacture more when they really don't need more. This may happen because of bad diet, the aging body or because of family genetics.

In the case of the first two, one can manage cholesterol by monitoring what they eat. In the case of the last one, it doesn't matter what the person eats they are going to have high cholesterol numbers, because their genetics has worked against their efforts to reduce cholesterol from their diet.

Answer 3

Our bodies require cholesterol to build and maintain cell membranes. I eat meat, but my cholesterol levels are in the healthy range. Proper diet is only a piece of the puzzle. It takes diet along with exercise and overall health to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

The cholesterol in the foods we eat is only partially responsible for the overall cholesterol levels in our blood. The other foods we eat have an affect as well. For example, beans can help to lower cholesterol and can offset the cholesterol we get from meat and dairy products.

Normally our own bodies produce about 1000 mg of cholesterol per day. If a persons body produces an excess amount, then even cutting cholesterol from foods altogether will not keep the blood levels at a healthy level.

The liver helps to clean excess cholesterol from the blood. If a persons liver is not functioning properly, again the cholesterol in the blood will be higher than optimal.

The bottom line is that diet is only a piece of the puzzle. I eat lean meat because I like it better than fatty meat.

Are you a vegan?

Answer 4

Maybe they should also take into consideration that they are all fed antibiotics and sometimes hormones and it has a realy big effect on your cholesterol and blood pressure.

Answer 5

Giving up beef, or other red meat (veal and pork), and replacing it with white meat (poultry and fish) is probably unnecessarily restrictive and a needless burden if portion sizes are moderate, and the beef is lean. Moreover, it can be counter productive for some people who may find the hardship so discouraging that they give up all their diet changes.

Meat and Cholesterol. Meat per se does not raise "bad" cholesterol. The problem is the fat and cholesterol in the meat, which varies greatly, depending on meat types and cuts. However, red meat generally has a lot more fat and cholesterol than does white meat. For instance, 3-ounces of sirloin steak has about 24-grams of fat, whereas 3-ounces of broiled chicken breast (skinless) has only 3-grams of fat.

But if the red meat is lean, it can be quite low in fat and cholesterol. Really lean ground round beef has about the same fat and cholesterol content as chicken, for example. "Lean" means all the external fat is cut away before cooking, and the internal fat marbling is low. The beef should be labeled lean on the package.

Red Meat and Cholesterol. Several clinical studies show that lean red meat can be part of a cholesterol lowering diet. The largest of these investigations was published last June in the Archives of Internal Medicine. This was a three-site investigation conducted by the Chicago Center for Clinical Research, The Johns Hopkins University Lipid Clinic, and the University of Minnesota.

In this study, 191 men and women each ate 6 ounces of meat (a deck-of-card sized portion) per day, 5 to 7 days per week, as part of a cholesterol managing regime. Half the group was told to eat lean red meats, and the other half, lean white meat. After the 3-month study period, all subjects had reduced their "bad" LDL cholesterol and increased their "good" HDL cholesterol, with no significant differences between the red meat and white meat groups.

End Note. Besides its abundant protein content, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) points out beef is one of our richest food sources for zinc and iron, which are deficient in the typical American diet. (One large survey indicates that nearly 40% of us are not getting enough iron and 73% are not meeting zinc needs.) In addition, beef is high in B vitamins.

To illustrate the nutritional value of beef, the ADA says that to get the same level of zinc, iron, and B vitamins found in one 3-oz cooked serving of beef, you would have to eat eight chicken breasts -- 3 breasts for enough iron, 2 more for enough zinc, and another one to meet B vitamin needs.

Of course, you don’t have to eat any meat at all to meet these mineral and vitamin requirements. The ADA is simply making the point that consuming lean cuts of beef or other red meat, in moderation, is healthful as well as acceptable for those trying to lower their cholesterol.

Examples of non-meat sources for zinc are granola, peanuts, popcorn, turnup greens, wheat cereals, and whole grain products; for iron, dried fruits, beans, nuts, asparagus, enriched flower, rice, lentils, peas, and spinach; and for B vitamins, soybeans, brown rice, nuts, bananas, whole grains, wheat, corn, and green leafy vegetables. One exception here is vitamin B-12. This vitamin is found in all foods of animal origin with only trace amounts in vegetables, legumes, fruits, etc.

Answer 6

If they think about it they probably do, but just use the "lean" to make them feel better about eating such horrible foods.

Answer 7

I think if you eat lots of ham YOU'RE gonna have lots of ham.

Answer 8

I am most certain they do because lean meats mean lean in fat and that is it.

Answer 9

yes but it is better for your cholesterol level.

Answer 10

yes. but they taste delicious with fava beans. and a nice chianti.