Incorporation of lean red meat into a National Cholesterol Education Program Step I diet: a long-term, randomized clinical trial in free-living persons with hypercholesterolemia.
OBJECTIVE
Clinicians often recommend that intake of all meat, particularly red meat, be reduced in conjunction with a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This study was designed to determine the long-term effects of lean red meat (beef, veal and pork) compared to lean white meat (poultry and fish) consumption on lipoprotein concentrations in free-living hypercholesterolemic subjects consuming a National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Step I diet.


METHODS
A randomized, crossover design was utilized. Hypercholesterolemic men and women (LDL cholesterol between 3.37 and 4.92 mmol/L) (triglycerides <3.96 mmol/L) (n = 145) were counseled to consume > or =80% of their 170 g/d meat intake as either lean red meat or lean white meat for two 36-week phases, separated by a four-week washout period of free meat selection. Subjects were instructed to follow an NCEP Step I diet throughout the study.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences in lipid concentrations between the lean red meat and lean white meat phases. LDL cholesterol was 4.02+/-0.04 (SEM) and 4.01+/-0.04 mmol/L in the white and red phases, respectively; this represented a decrease of approximately 2% from baseline concentrations (p < 0.01). Total cholesterol also declined by 1% from baseline (p < 0.05), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol rose over the study period by approximately 2% to approximately 3% from baseline to reach concentrations of 1.37+/-0.03 mmol/L and 1.38+/-0.03 mmol/L in the white and red phases, respectively (p < 0.001). Triglycerides were not altered by treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Consumption of lean red meat or lean white meat, as part of an NCEP Step I diet, is similarly effective for reducing LDL cholesterol and elevating HDL cholesterol concentrations in free-living persons with hypercholesterolemia.
Hunninghake
D B
DB
The University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinics, Minneapolis, USA.
Maki
K C
KC
Kwiterovich
P O
PO
Davidson
M H
MH
Dicklin
M R
MR
Kafonek
S D
SD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D005396:Fish Products; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011202:Poultry Products; D012111:Residence Characteristics
D008074:Lipoproteins; D002784:Cholesterol