Macro partitioning
Substituting red meat with high-quality plant protein sources (legumes, soy, nuts) leads to more favorable changes in total and LDL cholesterol compared to red meat consumption.
If you want to improve your cholesterol levels, try swapping some of your red meat servings for plant-based proteins like beans, lentils, soy, or nuts. This swap is more effective for lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) than swapping red meat for fish or refined carbohydrates. Ensure the plant-based meal provides enough protein to meet your daily needs.
Substituting red meat with high-quality plant protein sources, but not with fish or low-quality carbohydrates, leads to more favorable changes in blood lipids and lipoproteins.
Why this rating
Meta-analysis of 36 RCTs with 1803 participants provides high-quality evidence for this specific substitution effect.
Source
Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Red Meat Consumption in Comparison With Various Comparison Diets on Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Marta Guasch‐Ferré et al. · Circulation · 2019
DOI 10.1161/circulationaha.118.035225
More from this paper
- Red meat consumption does not significantly differ from various comparison diets combined in its effect on total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, apolipoproteins, or blood pressure.Good
- Substituting red meat with fish or low-quality carbohydrates results in less favorable lipid changes compared to substituting with high-quality plant proteins.Good
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
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