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An earlier version of this story used the term \u201cmeat\u201d to refer to many types of animal protein, including fish and poultry. The story has been updated to differentiate between meat and other sources of animal protein.\n
Still, there\u2019s a generally agreed upon hierarchy of nutritional value when it comes to animal protein and small shifts in your diet might have greater effects than you realize. In a study\n of the Danish population, researchers found that Danes could gain more than 7,000 years of healthy life annually if they ate the recommended quantity (12 ounces per week) of fish, while at the same time replacing red and processed meats in their diet.\u00a0
\u201cIt\u2019s important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all healthier diet or meat per se,\u201d said Janese Laster, a physician nutrition specialist in the District. Also crucial? \u201cThere are differences in farming practices, so throughout the United States, each person is getting different risks and benefits from the meats.\u201d Keeping that in mind, here are some conclusions that can be made about different categories of animal protein, starting with the good.\u00a0
A cut above: Fish and poultry
Poultry and fish are considered the best animal proteins you can load your diet with, Laster said. Fish is hailed for its omega-3 fatty acids, which can protect against cardiovascular disease. Fish is also rich in vitamin D, selenium and protein. \u201cA healthy diet would entail a great diversity of fish consumption, rather than the same fish every day, along with fish that is wild caught rather than farmed,\u201d Laster said. Because there\u2019s some risk of ingesting \u201cmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, microplastic due to our polluted water supply,\u201d try to avoid species such as swordfish or king mackerel and opt for cod or salmon instead.
Poultry, such as chicken and turkey, is also great protein source, low in calories and saturated fat. Keri Gans, registered dietitian and author of\u00a0\n\n\u201cThe Small Change Diet,\n\n\u201d used to recommend light meat over dark, but the fat difference is actually quite minimal. \u201cEat what you enjoy\u201d is her new advice. \u201cThat said, breast meat is typically leaner than thigh, and you should always look at how it\u2019s prepared.\u201d Chicken wings loaded in sauce are\u00a0not the best option. Gans recommends baking and grilling, and a skinless, boneless cut of poultry to keep each serving the healthiest.\u00a0
You might need fish and poultry even less than you think. (Research from\u00a0the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that even white meat consumption can increase cholesterol.) Though the American Heart Association\n recommends two to three servings of fish a week and eight to nine servings of super-lean protein, Laster says consuming just two to four servings per month of fish and two to four servings per month of poultry can provide benefits, according to\u00a0research. \u201cThere is\u00a0data to suggest a very low quantity of meat in general for healthier disease-free living, around two to four servings per month,\u201d Laster said. \u201cBut if poultry is consumed, it should be of the best farming practices, with free range, no antibiotics or hormones, and livestock being provided with proper food, along with uncontaminated slaughtering practices.\u201d
Less is more: Red meat
Most meat-eaters love a juicy hamburger or steak \u2014 but that should fall more in the indulgence zone, than in the category of dietary staple. The pros to red meat \u2014 which includes beef, pork, lamb, veal, venison and duck \u2014 are found in its minerals. Red meats can be great sources of iron and also pack \u201cvitamin B12, zinc and protein, all of which are important nutrients,\u201d said Amy Patton, a registered dietitian at Ohio State University\u2019s Wexner Medical Center.\u00a0
The cons, however, are notable. \u201cAccording to the\u00a0American Institute of Cancer Research\n, red meat intake can possibly promote certain cancers such as colorectal cancer,\u201d Patton said. \u201cCooking red meat at high temperatures may also increase cancer risk, and red meats tend to be higher in saturated fats than other protein sources.\u201d The\u00a0saturated fat may, in turn, increase your risk\n for cardiovascular disease.
What should you probably avoid altogether, or at least only eat on a very rare occasion? Processed meats. \u201cEssentially, this is any meat that has been preserved or had a chemical added, like bacon, bologna, pepperoni, beef jerky, hot dogs, sausage and deli meats,\u201d Laster said. There are other ways to get your protein fix \u2014 without all the\u00a0downsides\n. (The World Health Organization classifies processed meat as \u201ccarcinogenic to humans\n.\u201d)
When it comes to overall health, saturated fat should be limited as much as possible. Lamb typically has more saturated fat \u2014 which can raise your levels of bad cholesterol, putting you at higher risk of cardiovascular disease \u2014 than beef or pork. T-bones, rib-eye and New York strip steak tend to be fattier forms of beef when compared to ground rounds, sirloin or flank steak. Pork is typically lowest in calories and saturated fat when compared with other red meats \u2014 as long as it isn\u2019t processed into bacon or cured ham.
According to the\u00a0World Cancer Research Fund, you should not eat more than 12 to 18 ounces of red meat each week, or roughly three servings \u2014 but some experts suggest less is more. \u201cMany trials have shown decreased progression or reversal of chronic diseases, cancer, obesity and metabolic syndrome, including diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol, when you avoid processed red meats and greatly limit red meat consumption,\u201d Laster said. A recent study published in the\u00a0BMJ showed that increased red meat consumption leads to a higher risk of mortality.
If you choose to consume red meat, keep it smart. \u201cSelect leaner cuts, and use more healthful cooking methods, such as baking or broiling rather than frying or grilling,\u201d Patton said. Gans tells her clients that \u201cround\u201d or \u201cloin\u201d cuts are often leaner \u2014 think \u201cpork tenderloin,\u201d \u201cloin chop\u201d \u2014 when ordering off a menu or selecting at the store.\u00a0
Other protein
Substituting even one serving per day of red or processed red meat with poultry, fish or legumes \u201csignificantly decreases\u201d the risk of metabolic syndrome, Laster said. And don\u2019t forget those non-meat sources of protein. In addition to legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, almond milk, quinoa and chia can be part of a healthy dietary regimen.\u00a0
If you\u2019re thinking of a step-by-step way to improve your diet, Laster recommends \u201ccutting back on red meat\n, and then limiting animal products to a few times per month,\u201d rather than in the typical American diet of a few times per day. \u201cThere\u2019s been a few studies that have come out to show it\u2019s what Americans are\u00a0not eating daily \u2014 such as beans, grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits \u2014 that may account for some of the [unhealthy] effects we see in studies,\u201d Laster said.
When it comes to meat in your diet, small adjustments can reap big rewards, Laster said. \u201cThese incremental changes will\u00a0help with weight loss\n, improve diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and possibly help you get off medications.\u201d\u00a0
Healthiest to least healthy
Jenna Birch talked with experts to offer general guidance on which animal proteins and cuts of meat are the best for you. Here\u2019s what they said.
| Kind of animal protein | \nDetails | \n
| Fish/seafood/shellfish | \nWild Alaskan salmon, oysters and sardines are highest in healthy fats; white fish such as cod or flounder tend to be leaner. | \n
| Turkey | \nWhite meat has slightly less saturated fat than dark. Turkey is fairly comparable to chicken in nutrients, but both its dark and white meat are slightly leaner. | \n
| Chicken | \nWhite meat has slightly less saturated fat than dark; skinless, boneless breast is leanest. | \n
| Bison | \nSuper-lean, lower in fat than other red meat. | \n
| Pork | \nLook for loin cuts like tenderloin or top loin, which are typically leaner. | \n
| Beef | \nRound or sirloin are leaner cuts; flank steak is typically pretty lean; T-bones, rib-eyes, New York strip steak are higher in saturated fats. | \n
| Lamb | \nLoin, shank and leg cuts are leanest; some cuts of lamb are slightly higher in calories than beef, but you can typically trim fat from the edges to make them leaner. | \n
| Processed meat | \nBacon, hot dogs and sausage are all high in saturated fat and often made with chemicals considered carcinogenic to humans. | \n
THE\u00a0WASHINGTON\u00a0POST
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