Research

Energy balance

Consuming ≥4 weekly servings of lean beef as part of a high-protein, energy-restricted diet produces equivalent weight loss and cardiometabolic improvements compared to a high-protein diet excluding all red meats.

If you are following a high-protein weight loss plan, you do not need to eliminate lean beef. Eating at least 4 servings of lean beef per week will result in the same weight loss and heart health benefits as avoiding red meat entirely. Focus on the total caloric deficit and protein intake rather than excluding specific protein sources like beef.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Body weight was reduced by 7.8 ± 5.9% in B and 7.7 ± 5.5% in NB (p < 0.01 for both). Changes in percent body weight were equivalent between B and NB (mean difference: 0.06%, 90% confidence interval: (-1.7, 1.8)).
R. Drew Sayer et al. · Obesity Science & Practice · 2017

Why this rating

Randomized equivalence trial with a robust sample size (n=120) and clear statistical power for the primary outcome.

Source

Equivalent reductions in body weight during the Beef WISE Study: beef's role in weight improvement, satisfaction and energy

R. Drew Sayer et al. · Obesity Science & Practice · 2017

DOI 10.1002/osp4.118

rct · n=120Cited 19×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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