Over the last few weeks, I have been inundated with media furry and junky science filling the minds of consumer with myths about Beef. I cannot help to wonder:
Fill the Media w/Misinformation @ Beef =
Loss of Valuable Nutritional Source to your Diet
So before you swear off that juicy hamburger, get the facts from this Mom and Beef Producer:
Pink Slime Myth
Last week ABC news aired a story about “Pink Slime” used in ground beef sold at supermarket. The term “Pink Slime” paints an unwelcoming image that frankly could make one lose his or her appetite. A goal of the anti-meat crusades? In fact, here is a image floating around the Online World:
Perhaps, you may have read that “Pink Slime” is meat trimmings scooped off the floor of packing plants or it is “filler” that is unsafe for consumption.
Fact
Pink Slime is a term coined by the anti-meat campaign. The fact is “Pink Slime” is Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB) and actually looks like this:
As cuts of beef-roast or steak- are prepared for the meat case, the lean meat is separated from fat trimmings. Food handling facilities utilize every portion of the beef animal. The process of separating fat from the lean meat yields 10-12 pounds of lean, nutritionous beef that is inspected by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The facts are clear on Food Product Labels:
Dr. H. Russell Cross, Professor and Animal Science Department Head of Texas A & M University, was the administrator of the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service when LFTB was approved.
“As Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) in the early 90s, I and my staff evaluated numerous research projects before approving lean, finely textured beef as a safe source of high-quality protein. The FSIS safety review process was and is an in-depth, science-based process that spans years, many research projects and involves many experts across all levels of the agency-and in this case, the process proved the product is safe.”
Dr. Cross talks about the safety of LFTB
Simply put from this Beef farmer, Lean Finely Textured Beef is 100% USDA Inspected Beef. It will not appear as a separate ingredient on your Ground Beef label because it is BEEF not an chemical-engineered additive as presented in the media.
Harvard Study on Red Meat
This week, the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) release a study claiming red meat consumption causes “premature death”. Without missing a beat, the media began reporting the findings of the study after it was published online in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The study tested more than 37,000 men and 38,000 women through surveys and questionaires.
“Our study adds more evidence to the health risks of eating high amounts of red meat, which has been associated with type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers in other studies,” said lead author An Pan, research fellow in the Department of Nutrition at HSPH.
On the surface this statement grabs your attention and makes you rethink the hamburger. However as a person who cooks the majority of the meals in the family, it is important to take an in-depth behind the study look.
This Harvard Study asked 37,000 men and 38,000 women through a questionaire every four years and documented deaths of the group during the twenty year period. No lab work completed; no Research 101testing -just a simple question and answer scenerio. As Dr. Shalene McNeill, a licensed dietician, points out this is an “observation study” where a cause/effect relationship cannot be established.
Editoral Director Adam Bornstein form Livestrong.com (Lance Armstrong) agrees:
“How did the researchers test the dangers of meat? Through a survey and questionnaire. This wasn’t some deep and complex lab work.
As for the ability to demonstrate a cause and effect relationship between red meat and mortality? Those claims are impossible. Always remember Research 101: Correlation does not equal causation. Often, it’s merely guilt by association.”
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/blog/are-burgers-healthy-why-red-meat-is-not-bad-for-you/#ixzz1pIeTfyYk
An observation study without randomize controlled trial is just a published thought. I make dietary choices based on facts not studies that waste valuable resources.
Facts
As I published in my previous blog post, a randomized controlled clinical study by Pennsylvania State University conlcuded participants following a BOLD (Beef in Optimal Lean Diet) and BOLD-PLUS diet experienced a 10 perent decrease in LDL Cholesterol.
Remember 3 ounces serving of lean beef contains approximately 150 calories packed with essential nutrients: protein, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, niacin, selenium,phossphorus, choline, iron, and riboflavin.
Learn More at BeefNutrition.Org
So fire up the grill and select one of the 20 lean cuts of beef. Remember, a healthy lifestyle is about portion control, a balanced diet, and exercise.
Warm Spring Weather Sprouts Bad roots @ Beef | AGWEB.com.
