Arguably, one of the most controversial comments to make in the health and wellness space and maybe even in general is that…

Beef is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat.

You may be thinking that is a bold statement, but in this article we’re going to break down that claim.

And bring in some scientific evidence to back it up.

I understand the fears that give beef a bad rap.

So it is important to first point out some marketing gimmicks companies will use in order to push certain ideas.

We all understand the concept of a business and the simple fact that without customers there is no business to be done.

That goes for the food and pharmaceutical industries as well.

I’m not claiming pharmaceutical companies are trying to make us sick, but it doesn’t look like they are trying to make us healthier either.

For starters, this article, published in March of 2022 revealed that 95% of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee had conflicts of interest with the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Next, let’s take a look at Tufts University’s Food Compass.

The idea of the Food Compass is to evaluate foods using a unique algorithm which assigns a score between 1 and 100 with 100 being the most healthy.

Nina Teicholz (investigative science journalist) inserts some of the generated food scores into a bar graph.

Take a look at the graph below.

More specifically the rankings…

See the Tufts University’s Food Compass journal pre-proof here.

They really expect us to believe that cereal and Cinnabon are healthier than eggs, butter, cheese, and beef?

Curious to see what Joe Rogan’s thoughts are on this Food Compass?

Oh, and in case you didn’t know, Nina also writes that “Tufts is funded by quite a few of the same companies whose ultra-processed foods are awarded top rankings.”

It’s sad to say but money talks, across all industries.

And due to their disregard for sharing the truth about whole, nutritious foods, most people don’t know who or what to believe anymore.

Then it’s a wonder why obesity and related chronic illnesses are on the rise.

The chart above is from 6 years ago and shows that 50% of Americans are guesstimated to be obese by 2030.

In 2021 the American Obesity Association released a study predicting by 2025 50% of Americans will be obese - five years earlier than previously predicted.

Today, about 88% of Americans are metabolically unhealthy.

And life expectancy has changed direction and is declining now due to chronic illness.

Now let’s disprove some of the fear mongering that surrounds beef…

Heart disease became the number one fear in the 1950s.

This extremely informative documentary, titled “Fat”, takes a closer look at America’s history and makes sense of how “our country became so unhealthy”.

We all know of someone who has experienced a heart attack or stroke, or was advised to eliminate red meat due to the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

The American Heart Association, to this day, recommends limiting the consumption of beef because of its saturated fat content.

However, this study discredits “the idea that saturated fats cause heart disease” and goes on to say that this theory was “based on weak, associational evidence.”

We now have many more accurate and up-to-date studies that reveal saturated fat is not associated with:

• All cause mortality

• Cardiovascular disease

• Coronary heart disease

• Stroke

• Type 2 diabetes 

• Cancer

(Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4).

Here’s another journal that admits guideline-producing organizations lacked rigorous evidence reviews, struggled with conflicts of interest, and overlooked population values and preferences, casting doubt on their trustworthiness in regards to previous claims on the risk of red meat consumption.

There is not a direct correlation between cholesterol intake and blood cholesterol.

So, not only is beef not bad, beef is abundant in nutrients…

Thomas writes that there are ten essential nutrients only found in meat.

They are:

• Vitamin D3

• Vitamin B12

• Vitamin A (Retinol)

• Creatine

• Carnitine

• Carnosine

• Heme iron (a more bioavailable form of iron)

• Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

• Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)

• Taurine

Beef contains all nine essential amino acids, as well as, non-essential amino acids which are the building blocks of proteins.

Beef stands out as one of the most comprehensive dietary sources of protein, with an amino acid composition closely mirroring our own muscle tissue.

This makes beef particularly beneficial after surgery, during recovery from an injury, or following a workout.

Steak and eggs is an extremely beneficial breakfast because beef is very rich in tyrosine. Tyrosine converts directly into dopamine - the feel good hormone.

High-tyrosine foods can help improve mood, motivation, and feelings of overall well-being.

And who doesn’t need more of that?

We also need an adequate amount of tyrosine to support proper thyroid function.

The list of benefits we get from consuming beef is too long to fit into one article, not to mention the benefits of 100% grass-fed beef vs. corn fed (but that’s an article for another day).

So I will leave you with this information and hope it helps you…

…feel confident including one of the most nourishing foods into your diet.