Do you want to eat healthy but also love red meat? A recent scientific study may have some good news for you!
One of the reasons that high-fat red meat is considered unhealthy is because during digestion, the fat from meat is oxidized and creates free radicals.
A recent in-vitro study, published in Food Research International, found that consuming high-phenolic olive oil with high-fat beef could significantly reduce stomach and intestinal lipid oxidation when compared to consuming meat alone (or with regular olive oil). The researchers further found that less toxic free radical compounds were created during digestion when the meat was mixed with high-phenolic olive oil.
Free radicals have been found to cause cell damage (oxidative stress) which has been linked to cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, arthritis, vision loss, and other inflammatory conditions. Polyphenols, a type of antioxidant, are essential in our diets to help neutralize free radicals. Learn more about antioxidants here.
How to cook red meat in a healthy way? Take advantage of these findings, and always use a high-phenolic olive oil instead of butter when sautéing or roasting red meat. Then drizzle high-phenolic olive oil on grilled meats or finished dishes to ensure strong antioxidant availability during digestions. I have to say, I just love a splash of our olive oil on a good steak.
Looking for a great red meat recipe? Try this Roasted Leg of Lamb with Beet Carpaccio Salad or our special Roast Beef. Also - our Backyard Chimichurri is a great addition to any streak.
References:
Han, S., Wang, Y., Fang, Z., Zhang, Y., Zeng, W., Karrar, E., Zhang, H., Jin, Q., Wu, G., & Wang, X. (2022). Effect of olive polyphenols on lipid oxidation of high-fat beef during digestion. Food Research International, 161(November 2022), 111843. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996922009012?via%3Dihub
