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 t o 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 c oncentrations in free-living hypercholesterolemic subjects consuming a Nati onal 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 greater than or equal to 80% of their 170 gld meat intake as either lean red meat or lean white mea t for two 36-week phases, separated by a four-week washout period of free m eat selection. Subjects were instructed to follow an NCEP Step I diet throu ghout the study. Results: There were no significant differences in Lipid concentrations betw een 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, respec tively; this represented a decrease of similar to 2% from baseline concentr ations (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 similar to 2% to similar to 3% from baseline to reach concentrati ons of 1.37 +/- 0.03 mmol/L and 1.38 +/- 0.03 mmol/L in the white and red p hases, respectively (p < 0.001). Triglycerides were not altered by treatmen t. 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 hyperc holesterolemia.