However, science has just brought a surprising and positive discovery to those who love beef pho, especially when the bowl of pho is supplemented with lots of green vegetables and bean sprouts.
Beef is often considered a "culprit" in increasing the risk of heart disease due to its saturated fat content and concerns related to the metabolic process that creates trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) - a compound that causes cardiovascular risk.
A surprising and positive discovery for those who love beef pho, especially when the bowl of pho is supplemented with lots of green vegetables and bean sprouts. Photo: AI
However, a new study recently published in the American Heart Association's journal JAHA has exonerated the delicious beef noodle soup and shown how eating beef is not harmful to health, according to the science news site Scitech Daily.
Scientists at Pennsynvania State University (USA) analyzed cardiovascular health and gut microbiota diversity in 30 young, healthy people to better understand the relationship between lean beef consumption and TMAO levels.
Participants were placed on four rotating diets, each lasting four weeks, with different amounts and types of beef.
American Diet : The menu consists of 52% carbohydrates, 15% protein, 33% fat and 70 grams of fatty beef per day.
Mediterranean Diet with Less Lean Beef : Rich in olive oil, vegetables and has a ratio of 42% carbohydrates, 17% protein and 41% fat; along with 14 grams of lean or extra lean beef per day.
Mediterranean diet with moderate beef intake : Daily intake is 70 grams of lean beef.
Mediterranean diet with lots of beef : Daily intake is 155 grams of lean beef.
Participants had blood, stool, and urine tests to measure TMAO levels and microbiome diversity.
Eating 70 grams of beef per day, TMAO levels are still fine
The results revealed something surprising: Consuming lean beef combined with a Mediterranean diet of 14 or 70 grams of beef per day led to lower TMAO levels, meaning a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. At the same time, this way of eating beef also enriched the gut microbiota, according to Scitech Daily.
In contrast, consuming fatty beef in the American diet or 155 grams of lean beef per day in the Mediterranean diet both increased the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The researchers explained that overall diet quality is more important than beef intake, and eating lean beef as part of a Mediterranean diet does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
They concluded that eating lean beef in moderation every day is healthy if combined with a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and good fats.