Nothing like a big, juicy steak next to a fluffy pile of perfectly seasoned mashed potatoes and greens. But since red meat has been so maligned, you might wonder if it’s good for your overall health. The good news is that, in moderation, lean cuts of steak are good for you, but some people with certain conditions should avoid them altogether.
When most people eat steak, their “body breaks it down and uses the components for its own purposes, such as building muscle and producing blood,” explains Dr. Mike Bohl, MD, MPH, ALM, director of medical content and education at Ro (health technology company) and member of our medical expert council. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for everyone, he continues, “on the less beneficial side of things, steak is high in saturated fat, and regular consumption of red meat has been linked to high cholesterol.” , heart disease and cancer, especially colorectal cancer. »
Read on to find out if you are one of the 5 people who should never eat steak.
And for more foods you might want to avoid, take a look at The Worst Bread You Should Ever Eat, According to a Dietitian.
Although most foods can be eaten in moderation (for the most part), steak can affect people with sensitive stomachs. Indeed, “gastrointestinal problems make it harder to digest red meat,” says Dr. Bohl.
Large amounts of protein and fatty foods, such as steak and red meat, take much longer to empty from the stomach. According to Geelong Medical Group, the first sign of this problem is intense bloating and discomfort, resulting from excess toxins accumulating in the digestive tract.
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“The only people who should avoid eating steak are those with a short-term reaction to it, such as those with allergies,” says Dr. Bohl. Sometimes having a steak once in a blue moon won’t cause any extraneous harm, but that’s really not the case if you’re allergic.
Alpha-gal syndrome — only discovered in recent years — is defined as an allergy to products made from mammals, specifically cuts of red meat, reports the Mayo Clinic. Although quite rare to have, the allergy is like most, in that it appears within minutes of eating a piece of steak.
Symptoms of allergy include hives, itching and/or scaling (eczema), runny nose, headache, wheezing or shortness of breath, stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting and swelling of parts of the body such as the lips, face, tongue and throat.
Steak and most red meats are much higher in saturated fat, she explains, which can build up more LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood and raise blood pressure in the body. “People with diabetes have an increased risk of heart disease, so avoiding steak would prevent a further increase in their risk,” suggests Dr. Cedrina Calder, MDanother member of our expert medical board.
The American Diabetes Associated recommends a person with diabetes not exceed 20 grams of total fat, and an average 8-ounce steak contains about 19 grams of saturated fat. And given that the likelihood of having high blood pressure is doubled for someone with diabetes compared to someone without it, a big steak dinner should be on the menu as little as possible (if at all). everything).
Eating steak frequently can cause a number of health issues, but more so for people with certain genes. Consuming steak and other similar red meats”[have] been associated with several different cancers, particularly colon cancer,” says Dr. Calder, “If you have a strong family history of colon cancer, it may be wise to avoid steak.
There are certain compounds in steak and other red meats, according to researchers at the Cancer Institute, that cause “alkylating” damage and the possible formation of this cancer.
According to Harvard Health, people who eat 5 ounces or more of steak (and/or red meat) a day increase their risk of developing colon cancer by 28%. That being said, lean meats, such as chicken, and fish have been found to prevent disease when eaten long term.
The best alternatives to red meat
Steak is undeniably tasty and if you fall into one of these categories, it can be a tough pill to swallow to have to cut it out or strictly limit it from your diet. What if we told you that you have more options?
“Healthier red meat options include venison, wild boar, and bison, which contain less saturated fat than beef,” says Dr. Bohl. And “if you still want to eat beef, the leaner the cut, the better.
Having a red meat substitute allows steak lovers to enjoy protein in a healthy and sustainable way throughout life.
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