A new study—Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet (BOLD)—published in December’s American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that diets including lean beef every day are as effective in lowering total and LDL "bad" cholesterol as the gold standard of heart-healthy diets (DASH, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University, led by Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., distinguished professor of nutrition, evaluated adults with moderately elevated cholesterol levels, measuring the  impact of diets including varying amounts of lean beef on total and LDL cholesterol levels. Study participants experienced a 10 percent decrease in LDL cholesterol from baseline, while consuming diets containing 4.0 and 5.4 oz. of lean beef daily.

This study adds to the body of evidence regarding lean beef in a heart-healthy diet, including a recent Harvard review of 20 epidemiological studies encompassing more than one million subjects concluding that red meat intake does not increase risk of heart disease.