Health Benefits

Lately, red meat has been getting a lot of bad press. Studies havelinked red meat to heart disease, atherosclerosis, and even some typesof cancer. But while the greasy, charcoal-burned, bacon cheeseburgerserved with deep fried French fries is a bad idea, a nice bit of leanbeef, added to stews or stir-fries or your favorite burrito recipe, mayactually be healthy for you. First of all, lean beef is a very goodsource of protein providing 64.1% of the daily value for protein injust 4 ounces. But did you know that lean organic beef also containsnutrients that protect your heart and prevent colon cancer?

Cardiovascular Benefits

In addition to being a very good source of protein, lean, organicbeef is a very good source of vitamin B12, and a good source of vitaminB6. Vitamin B12 along with vitamin B6 are two vitamins needed by the body to convert the potentially dangerous chemical homocysteineinto other, benign molecules. Since high homocysteine levels areassociated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, gettingplenty of these B vitamins in your diet is important (homocysteine isalso associated with osteoporosis, and a recent study found thatosteoporosis occurred more frequently among women whose vitamin B12status was deficient or marginal compared with those who had normal B12status.) A four-ounce serving of lean beef provides 48.7% of the dailyvalue for vitamin B12 plus 24.5% of the DV for B6.

Cancer Protection

Diets high in vitamin B12-rich foods, especially if they are low infat, are also associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer. And,organic beef is also a good source of the trace minerals selenium and zinc. Selenium, another nutrient in lean beef that helps reduce the risk of colon cancer, is needed for the proper function of glutathione peroxidase,an important internally produced antioxidant that has also been shownto reduce the severity of inflammatory conditions like asthma andrheumatoid arthritis. Selenium is incorporated at the active site ofglutathione peroxidase, which is particularly important for cancerprotection. Glutathione peroxidase is used in the liver to detoxify awide range of potentially harmful molecules, which might otherwisewreak havoc on any cells with which they come in contact, damagingtheir cellular DNA and promoting the development of cancer cells. Forthis and other reasons, foods rich in selenium are also associated witha reduced risk for colon cancer. Accumulated evidence from prospectivestudies, intervention trials and studies on animal models of cancerhave suggested a strong inverse correlation between selenium intake andcancer incidence. Selenium has been shown to induce DNA repair andsynthesis in damaged cells, to inhibit the proliferation of cancercells, and to induce their apoptosis, the self-destruct sequence thebody uses to eliminate worn out or abnormal cells. A four-ounce servingof lean beef supplies 50.3% of the daily value for selenium.

Lean beef is a good source of zinc, which is helpful forpreventing the damage to blood vessel walls that can contribute toatherosclerosis and is also needed for the proper function of theimmune system, making it a good nutrient for helping to preventinfections or recurrent ear infections. New researchsuggests that another reason for older men to make zinc-rich foods,such as beef, a regular part of their healthy way of eating is bonemineral density. Although osteoporosis is often thought to be a diseasefor which postmenopausal women are at highest risk, it is also apotential problem for older men. Almost 30% of hip fractures occur inmen, and 1 in 8 men over age 50 will have an osteoporotic fracture. Astudy of 396 men ranging in age from 45-92 that was published in theSeptember 2004 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutritionfound a clear correlation between low dietary intake of zinc, low bloodlevels of the trace mineral, and osteoporosis at the hip andspine.(October 18, 2004) Four ounces of lean beef contains 42.2% of the daily value for zinc.

So don't think eating healthy means saying goodbye to beef.Lean, low-fat organic beef tenderloin can actually be a healthyaddition to a good, whole foods diet.

Description

"Where's the beef?" is not only a famous advertising slogan. It is aquestion that one can ask regarding a healthy diet since lean beefprovides a vast resource of important nutrients.

Beef is available in a wide variety of cuts that can fulfillmany different recipe needs. The different cuts range in texture andtenderness as well as in fat content, making beef a very versatilefood. The leanest cuts of beef are taken from the back leg bone, calledthe round bone. These include eye of round, top round, and bottomround. These cuts are the leanest (most muscular) because the cow usesits back legs as its primary means of movement. The underbelly,including rib, ribeye, spare rib, and brisket, is the site of thefattiest cuts.

In Latin, the scientific name for cow is Bos taurus.