You don’t need to give up meat to save your heart

Yesterday, I set out to debunk a recent misleading headline claiming that vegetarians are somehow heart-healthier than people who eat meat.  

The claim itself is dubious for a lot of reasons. For one thing, it was based around an observational study—which, while useful, isn’t exactly the gold standard for scientific proof.  

Not only that, but this headline left out a big chunk of the full story—like the fact that vegetarians also had lower levels of lifesaving vitamin D, and higher levels of lethal triglycerides. That’s not exactly what I would call a recipe for “better” heart health. 

But there’s still more to the story that, yet again, mainstream news reports have failed to address… 

The quality of your meat matters 

Let’s start with the most obvious point: We have absolutely no idea what types of meat the “meat-eaters” in this study were eating.   

Was it processed meat—like hot dogs and lunch meat? Was it factory-farmed meat, bought off typical grocery store shelves? Or was it meat from grass-fed, grass-finished, pasture-raised animals? Because for the millionth time, this is a critically important point.  

Grass-fed and -finished, pasture-raised meat is a far cry from a fast food cheeseburger or hot dog.  

One is packed with nutrients such as L-carnitine—which helps aid in fat metabolism—and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which improves insulin sensitivity and promotes fat loss.  

Whereas the other is packed with hormones and chemicals—with a fatty acid profile that has been completely corrupted by conventional grain-feeding practices.    

In other words, a good cut of beef is about as healthy as real food gets. It’s high in minerals such as zinc, selenium, phosphorous, and iron. And in vitamins like B12, B3, B6, B2 and B5. It’s also one of the few food sources of glutathione, the body’s super antioxidant. Plus, it’s high in protein, which helps build and retain muscle mass—while keeping you fuller, for longer.    

But since this latest study focused on heart health risk factors—and cholesterol levels, in particular—let’s pivot back to that point now. Because the single biggest assumption that these researchers made is that high cholesterol has any meaning whatsoever… 

A number is just a number 

As you may recall, it’s my contention that, unless your cholesterol is exceptionally high, those numbers don’t really tell you anything about your heart’s health. And this obsession with your LDL level—which nearly all conventional cardiologists have—is particularly meaningless. 

There’s no direct correlation between one’s cholesterol level and one’s risk of death. Period. 

If you don’t believe me, all you have to do is review the study literature on statin medications (which exposes our love affair with these dangerous drugs for the racket that it is).  

But since we’re on the subject, let me remind you of yet another study I shared here recently, which showed that a Mediterranean diet, combined with small amounts of lean beef, actually helped lower heart disease risk factors—including LDL cholesterol.        

The bottom line? If you’re really interested in preserving your heart’s health, you don’t need to give up meat. Simply exercise and eat a healthy, balanced diet (like my A-List Diet—and you’ll notice some improvements with your heart health biomarkers.  

For additional guidance, I also encourage you to check out my Ultimate Heart-Protection Protocol. To learn more about this comprehensive, all-natural plan to help preserve your heart health, simply click here now. 

Source: 

“Vegetarians Have Better Cholesterol Levels, and More, Than Meat-Eaters.” Medscape Medical News, 05/11/2021. (medscape.com/viewarticle/950911)