I feel like this is a dumb question, but i have to ask anyway. I get the impression from reading the forums that red meat isn't good for you. Is this the case? If so, why?

I feel like this is a dumb question, but i have to ask anyway. I get the impression from reading the forums that red meat isn't good for you. Is this the case? If so, why?

It tends to have fat. Every gram of fat contains 9 calories, every gram of protein and carbs have 4 calories each. I have never seen conclusive proof that fats are harmful. But they certainly provide 2.25 times the calories as other food types. Most people here are trying to lose weight not gain it.:cool:

The fat in red meat is also saturated fat, excessive comsumption of which may contribute to coronary disease.

there are no problems with red meat...in my opinion..i eat a piece of steak daily ..especially during a cut....

saturated fat gets a bad rep and alot of people are still petrified of fats..
my meals consit of fats from flax, red meat, fish oil peanut butter, and olive oil....i try to get a balnce in there..

red meat also helps maintian and produce testoserone..which if your lifting ..you need..also contains zinc which helps in hormone growth..

dont skip on red meat ..and dont eat like a little girl

The fat in red meat is also saturated fat, excessive comsumption of which may contribute to coronary disease.

That's not true. There is as much or more monounsaturated fat (like in olive oil or nuts) in beef as there is saturated.

Also, the saturated fat is about 50% stearic acid, which doesn't increase serum cholesterol.

I personally think lean beef or bison, especially from grass fed sources, is an excellent and healthy food. It's a good source of CLA for instance.

The fat in red meat is also saturated fat, excessive comsumption of which may contribute to coronary disease.
Actually steak has more monounsaturated fats then saturated ;)

Just eat lean cuts of rad meat and I think its a very healthy food choice, buy something like eye of round (not only is it the leanest cut I can think of, but cheapest too!!) and your looking at (from the website I use (http://www.beefinfo.org/pdf/nutrient_data/NutrientData-Cooked-EN.pdf)) under 4g of fat for 100g of meat! But if you buy something like rib eye, that fat number can more then triple. It really depends on the cut, so learn to cook lean cuts to taste good and enjoy!:tucool:


Chris.

*edit* Damn you mannishboy! You beat me to the monounsaturated VS saturated bit while I was typing. :D

Steak has more monounsaturated fat than satu...oh. :(

Steak has more monounsaturated fat than satu...oh. :(
:lol:

Look, I eat red meat as well, just not every day. Everything I've ever read says that red meat need to be eaten in moderation. Consumption of red meat has been linked to heart disease, cancer, bone loss, hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis. Plus, beef today is so full of growth hormones, who knows what's going to be discovered in the future.

I'm not saying to skip on red meat. I love a good steak and burger. But there are health risks associated with red meat consumption. You can't deny that.

Look, I eat red meat as well, just not every day. Everything I've ever read says that red meat need to be eaten in moderation. Consumption of red meat has been linked to heart disease, cancer, bone loss, hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis.

What hasn't?

Plus, beef today is so full of growth hormones, who knows what's going to be discovered in the future.

See above. Also see my comment about natural grass fed beef and bison. I'll agree it's "healthier". Also, it's fat content is lower and it's higher in omega 3s and CLA than grain fed beef.

Some lean beef cuts have even less saturated fat than chicken breasts.

I'm not saying to skip on red meat. I love a good steak and burger. But there are health risks associated with red meat consumption. You can't deny that.

Sure I can. I'd argue there are no more risks than with about anything else. Fish can kill you because of the mercury or other toxins. Chicken are fed their own feces. Pork? Don't even go there.

Heck, spinach is deadly :D

Just like fat got a bad rep in the 90s, so has beef. :eat:

the air we breathe is far more toxic than any of the meat we eat in my opinion...

the other day i indulged on a diet soda with splenda and someone at work told me how unhealthy it was with artificial sweetners and such...then his fat ass went and had a smoke...

the other day i indulged on a diet soda with splenda and someone at work told me how unhealthy it was with artificial sweetners and such...then his fat ass went and had a smoke...


I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets this kind of advice! :lol:

I like the red meat.

The problem I see is that virtually all the meat you buy at the store these days has drawbacks in the way it was raised or what it contains. So I figure we should all either go back to subsistence farming, or else quit worrying about it and go back to arguing about something important, like which beer is the healthiest.;)

dont skip on red meat ..and dont eat like a little girl

:lol:

Plus, beef today is so full of growth hormones, who knows what's going to be discovered in the future.

And your chicken breast's aren't?

The problem I see is that virtually all the meat you buy at the store these days has drawbacks in the way it was raised or what it contains.

That's so true, sadly. I would opt for organic, but it's just so much more expensive, and being a college student I operate on a shoestring budget. I have a mini fridge and no deep freeze, so I can't even buy in bulk. I'm managing, though, and usually I still have some money left over at the end of the month that goes into savings. The funny thing is I have far less money at my disposal than the average college student here (like 50% less according to a newspaper article I read recently) and I still manage to pay for gym membership, regular living expenses (like rent for my dorm room, supplies, and, of course, lots of good and clean food), and the occasional treat in form of a CD, book, DVD, or new sports equipment. The difference between me and those people who have double the money and still complain about it being too little for a college student to live on? I don't party, I don't drink alcohol and I don't smoke. It's amazing how expensive those three habits are, yet they take priority for many people I know, and then they whine about being poor.

Sorry, went off on a tangent there.

But, yeah, I love me an occasional steak and if it's a lean cut I don't see a problem. I do view it as a treat, though, because I just couldn't afford to buy it on a regular basis.

And your chicken breast's aren't?

What did you say about my chest?:mad:

No, seriously, sure they are. I'm not saying I'm a perfect eater. I don't buy organic food. But the original question was, "What's so bad about red meat?" So, the OP was inquiring as to what were the negative aspects of red meat. Now, I eat red meat. I would never tell anyone not to eat red meat, but there are health risks associated with it. I have a history of heart disease in my family. I am always told to watch my consumption of red meat. Anybody I ever heard of who has heart issues, one of the first things they are told is to cut down on red meat. If you have other information, I suggest you draft a paper and submit it to either Harvard or Johns Hopkins for publishing, because I think the medical community would be interested in hearing it.

Is red meat like cigarettes? No, that's ridiculous. But a heart healthy diet would not include a lot of red meat.

But a heart healthy diet would not include a lot of red meat.

Probably not but a heart healthy diet could include a serving of red meat a day especially when you are consuming healthy fat from additional sources.

But a heart healthy diet would not include a lot of red meat.

I think the fear of fat and saturated fat is beginning to change in the medical community, though. I think the problem may be fat combined with high insulin.

For instance, I've seen several studies over the last couple of years pointing out that people's blood work actually improved as they started eating more fat and protein and less carbs (Adkins stuff).

As an example of how a lot of the way this is going, the evidence is growing that a couple of eggs a day don't have that big of an effect on serum cholestol levels on their own, although we've heard for years they do.

wow, a lot more responses than i thought i'd get. a lot of good comic relief in there as well :lol:. so i'm not going to stop eating red meat - i don't eat all that much of it to begin with, i just thought it couldn't be as bad as rumors suggest. when i do eat it, i try to get the leanest i can find which tends to be around 90% or so. i think i'll just stick with that...

thanks for all of your input!

There is nothing wrong with red meat. Don't let the diet industry fool you. If I had a fish store, of course I would tell you red meat is bad. Eat it everyday, I do.

You can dissect fats and all of this in everything you eat. Is tap water safe to drink? Many people will tell you and the minority will say it is. Even though it is rigerously tested all the time. I don't drink bottled water because I don't think they test it as much.

Eat meat and lots of it, preferably cooked. Eggs too, Oh yeah, I eat pork chops everyday too. Oh yeah, I lost 130 Lbs in just over a year.

My own personal reasons for limiting consumption of red meat is because of the environmental impact. (Pollution, and inefficient land and water use.)

There aren't really any unbiased statistics available for this, but the bottom line is that getting a larger percentage of your protein from smaller animals and from plant sources is much better for the environment than eating a lot of beef.

The amount of water it takes to produce the food we eat is a matter of contention between special interest groups (http://www.ehponline.org/science-ed/2007/Food.pdf). The website
BeefFromPasturetoPlate.com states “Considering all factors in beef cattle production including direct consumption, irrigation of
pastures and crops, and carcass processing, it takes 435 gallons of water to produce a pound of boneless beef".

But according to the website GoVeg.com, “It takes 5,000 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat, while growing 1 pound of wheat only requires 25 gallons” (cited from the book The Food Revolution by John Robbins). There are so many factors that go into estimating the amount of water (or other resources) used to produce our food that special interest groups can pick “extreme” examples to make their point.

There aren't really any unbiased statistics available for this, but the bottom line is that getting a larger percentage of your protein from smaller animals and from plant sources is much better for the environment than eating a lot of beef.

http://www.rarebreeds.co.nz/willis8.jpghttp://www.miniaturehereford.com.au/images/minicow2.jpg

;) :D

The only negative thing that can be conclusively, unarguably said about red meat is that it usually contains a higher fat to protein ratio, making it more calorically expensive per gram. That may or may not be a problem for you. You're not going to get us good people at JSF to agree on anything else about red meat.

They agree. Eat less red meat.

http://www.planetwayne.com/albums/Funnies/eat_more_chicken.sized.jpg (http://www.planetwayne.com/gallery/Funnies/eat_more_chicken?full=1)

;) :D
Veal?

:spank:

Veal?

:spank:

No, those are full grown miniature cattle (http://www.minicattle.com/entry.cfm).

those bastard cows want you to eat chicken that is fried!



They agree. Eat less red meat.

http://www.planetwayne.com/albums/Funnies/eat_more_chicken.sized.jpg (http://www.planetwayne.com/gallery/Funnies/eat_more_chicken?full=1)

Actually I had a really awkward reaction when I was eating red meat several times per week. My muscles grew bigger. :)

Actually I had a really awkward reaction when I was eating red meat several times per week. My muscles grew bigger. :)

:lol:

Red meat good. :madpimp:

Actually I had a really awkward reaction when I was eating red meat several times per week. My muscles grew bigger. :)
Funny how that works eh?

When I was looking around trying to find things to naturally boost testosterone levels, two of the things I found suggested where mono unsaturated fats and protein. Both are found in abundance in red meat.


Chris.

I think we need to get the OP on board to change the name of this thread to "What's so good about red meat?":eat:

My own personal reasons for limiting consumption of red meat is because of the environmental impact. (Pollution, and inefficient land and water use.)

There aren't really any unbiased statistics available for this, but the bottom line is that getting a larger percentage of your protein from smaller animals and from plant sources is much better for the environment than eating a lot of beef.



You can't reasonably say that "There aren't really any unbiased statistics for this" and then turn around and make a firm, bottom-line declaration like this. It defies logic.

Wheat farming is sooo bad for the soil, it can only be grown on one piece every third year in a rotation.

The amount of water and soil quality lost to combined effects of irrigation, petrochemical fertilizers, and runoff, is badly overlooked by those who say that growing plants is better for the environment than growing animals. The fact that amber waves of grain are more aesthetic than a feedlot doesn't even scratch the surface of the whole story.

You can't reasonably say that "There aren't really any unbiased statistics for this" and then turn around and make a firm, bottom-line declaration like this. It defies logic. There aren't any statistics that clearly quantify how much more water is needed to raise cattle than beef, but it's clear that the protein cost of beef over other meats or grains is much higher. When used the same methods that the cattle ranchers used to come up with their 435 gallon estimate instead of 5,000 estimate, the wheat farming then only uses 2 instead of 45.

Don't grow wheat every year; rotate your crops.

I still eat beef, but I'm careful about how much I consume.

I think we need to get the OP on board to change the name of this thread to "What's so good about red meat?":eat:

but negative press gets so much more attention... :evil:

how much more water is needed to raise cattle than beef,

:doh: :confused:

Plants provide us with oxygen. Please don't eat my oxygen!!

but negative press gets so much more attention... :evil:

PETA has a good PR group with their built-in doctor section.:D

Plants provide us with oxygen. Please don't eat my oxygen!!
Save the air, eat a cow!:eat:

As for how much water it uses to raise a cow vs veggies.... wtf? The water isn't going anywhere but back into the earth, so who cares? When a cow drinks a couple gallons a day, he probably urinates or breathes most of that back out in the same day, the pee would go back into the ground and eventually find its way to more water (after filtering through the soil of course heh) and the vapor he breathes would eventually find its way into a cloud, then when it rains end up back in a lake/river/etc. So its not like they are "stealing" the earths water, it all ends up back in the same place eventually.

I figured all you "save the earth" nuts would have been more concerned about all the herbicides and pesticides used when growing veggies.....


Chris.

how much more water is needed to raise cattle than beef,

Something like that.
Save the air, eat a cow!
Believe me, cows don't do any benefit to the air. :nono:
Cow burps are actually partly to blame in the global warming (http://www.riverdeep.net/current/2002/03/032502t_cowpower.jhtml) crisis.

The water isn't going anywhere but back into the earth, so who cares? its not like they are "stealing" the earths water, it all ends up back in the same place eventually.
No, the water is used and gone forever. I'm not a chemist, so I'm not sure how it works, but that's aparently how it works. But I'm curious about the economics of the whole thing. Farmers aren't stupid; if they could get a higher profit from a crop of corn than from a crop of beef, they'd do that.

I'm not an alarmist. I think people should make decisions for themselves, but the more we know, the more informed decisions we can make.

Beef is a great source of iron. :tucool:

a crop of beef
:doh: Or something like that. :rolleyes:

[quote=guava;469545]:doh: Or something like that. :rolleyes:

:lol::lol::lol:
Thanks Guava, I needed a good laugh before work!
The cow burp thing may be true, but its still funny as hell!


Chris.

Farmers aren't stupid; if they could get a higher profit from a crop of corn than from a crop of beef, they'd do that.



:lol: No, you've got it all wrong. If farmers could make more growing corn than beef, they'd hire lobbyists/marketers to encourage the consumption of beef, they'd embark in beef price elevation schemes, they'd ask that beef be subsidised, and they'd push for a program wherin they are paid to not grow beef.:lol: