Eating Meat Burgers May Actually Be Good For Your Health

Ok now, before you run off to a nearby burger joint to treat yourself to a nice meal, hear us out.

At a Texas A&M beef conference held recently in Texas, university researcher Dr. Stephen Smith told cattle producers that he has found subjects whose health actually benefitted by gorging on dozens of burgers over the span of six weeks.

“Brisket has higher oleic acid than the flank or plate, which are the trims typically used to produce ground beef,” he told conference-goers. “The fat in brisket also has a low melting point, that’s why the brisket is so juicy. That’s also why we like it so much here in Texas, and it’s by far the most popular choice for Texas barbecue.”

This new snippet of information clashes with a lot of existing health norms. For starters, the fact that red meat isn’t all that good when it comes to health benefits. The World Health Organization has, in fact, added it to a list of carcinogens last year while publishing a study that found processed meats and red meat cause cancer.

Smith counters the carcinogenic factor by stating that if the meat is taken from a cow who has been fed a proper diet and if the meat is cooked properly, the beef can be rich in oleic fatty acids, a healthy compound that is usually found in olive oil and avocados. Also, the more marbled a cut of beef, says Smith, the healthier its fat composition.

Further, one of Smith’s recent studies also found that people who ate beef that was high in oleic acid noted that their HDL cholesterol — the good kind of cholesterol — boosted, while LDL – the bad cholesterol – levels decreased. In that one particular study, subjects consumed five Wagyu or Angus beef patties a week for six weeks.

But here’s a conspiracy backed by a number of criticisms and critic. A number of animal welfare groups have resisted Smith’s findings, saying that they lack “academic rigor”. Moreover, the researcher’s past studies have been backed by the beef lobby. Eater notes that his research on marbling, for instance, was funded by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

While the experts battle it out, here’s a perfectly stacked burger that you can feast on!

Source: Eater

Feature Image: recipeshub