White Meat Can Raise Cholesterol As Much As Red Meat, New Study Shows

White meat, such as chicken, may raise
blood cholesterol levels as much as red
meat does, a new, small study details.
The finding surprised researchers, who
didn't expect that eating large amounts of
poultry would lead to higher blood
cholesterol levels. Of the three diets in
the study — red meat, white meat and
nonmeat proteins — only the plant-based
diet was associated with healthy blood
cholesterol levels, the researchers found.
"When we planned this study, we
expected red meat to have a more
adverse effect on blood cholesterol levels
than white meat, but we were surprised
that this was not the case," study senior
researcher Dr. Ronald Krauss, a senior
scientist and director of atherosclerosis
research at the Children's Hospital
Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) in
California, said in a statement . "Their
effects on cholesterol are identical when
saturated fat levels are
equivalent." [ Busted! The 7 Biggest Diet
Myths ]
In the study, called the APPROACH —
Animal and Plant Protein and
Cardiovascular Health — trial,
researchers looked at 113 healthy
people, who were randomly assigned to a
diet that was either high or low in
saturated fat.
All the participants refrained from taking
vitamin supplements and drinking alcohol
during the study. Then, participants in
both groups cycled through three different
diets: a red meat (primarily beef) diet, a
white meat (mainly chicken and turkey)
diet, and a nonmeat protein (legumes,
nuts, grains and soy products) diet, with
each diet period lasting four weeks.
Between each diet period, the individuals
had a "washout period," during which
they ate their regular foods. In addition,
the participants had blood tests at the
start and finish of each new diet.
The results showed that while participants
in the high-saturated fat group had more
total and LDL cholesterol levels than
people in the low-saturated fat group,
both red and white meat raised LDL
levels, regardless of how much saturated
fat was in the diet.
In other words, white and red meats had
the same effects on blood cholesterol
levels, the researchers found. Saturated
fats occur naturally in foods such as fatty
beef, poultry with skin, butter and cream
and cheeses, according to the American
Heart Association . Too much LDL
cholesterol from saturated fats can build
up in a person's blood vessels, causing
plaque and increasing the risk of heart
attack and stroke .
The team also looked at LDL particles of
different sizes. (LDL, or low-density
lipoproteins, are also known as "bad"
cholesterol.) In general, medium- and
smaller-size LDL particles are denser and
heavier, and some doctors think they are
more detrimental to cardiovascular health,
said Dana Hunnes, a senior dietitian at
the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
in Los Angeles, who was not involved
with the study.
Slightly larger and less dense, or "fluffier"
LDL cholesterol particles are thought to
be less harmful to cardiovascular health
than these smaller, dense particles,
Hunnes said. However, recent research
posted on the International
Atherosclerosis Society's website
suggests that both small and large LDL
particles may increase the risk of plaque
buildup, known as atherosclerosis.
The study revealed there were no
significant differences in the amounts of
LDL particles of different sizes in people
while on the white meat and red meat
diets. But eating lots of saturated fat was
associated with higher concentrations of
the "fluffier" large LDL particles. In all,
they found that these fluffy LDL particles
increased more in the red and white meat
diets, compared with the plant-based
diets .
If large LDL particles are less harmful
than the smaller, denser particles, it's
possible that a standard LDL cholesterol
test may overestimate the cardiovascular
risk for people who eat a lot of saturated
fats and meats, the researchers said.
The team acknowledged that their
findings went against current government
dietary guidelines, which encourage
people to eat poultry as a healthier
alternative to red meat. However, until
now, there hasn't been a comprehensive
comparison of the health effects of eating
red meat, white meat and nonmeat
proteins, Krauss noted.
It's also possible that there are other
factors about red meat that can affect
cardiovascular health, he said. [ Beyond
Vegetables and Exercise: 5 Surprising
Ways to Be Heart Healthy ]
"Indeed, other effects of red meat
consumption could contribute to heart
disease , and these effects should be
explored in more detail in an effort to
improve health," Krauss said.
The study is well executed and rigorous,
Hunnes said. It clearly shows that eating
plant-based proteins is associated with
lower levels of cholesterol, she said.
"The take home message of this study is
eat more plants, eat more plant-based
proteins, limit your intake of saturated fats
from all sources, and limit your intake of
animal proteins, from all sources,"
Hunnes told Live Science in an email.
"All great messages in my book!"
The finding dovetails with recent
international recommendations that
people eat more plants and fewer
burgers, which are linked to climate
change, freshwater pollution and the
devastation of wildlife.
The new research had several limitations;
the meats in the study did not include
grass-fed beef or processed products,
including bacon or sausage. Nor did it
include fish, Krauss said. Moreover, the
study was small and relatively short lived,
he said.
The study was published online Tuesday
(June 4) in The American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition.