Study Says Beef May Not Be So Great a Heart Risk

A new study suggests that eating beef may not be as bad for the heart as experts had once assumed because one of its major forms of saturated fat lowers cholesterol.

Despite their findings, however, the study’s authors recommended that people stick to widely accepted dietary guidelines and keep their fat intake as low as possible.

The study, conducted by Drs. Scott M. Grundy and Andrea Bonanome, found that stearic acid, one of the main components of saturated fat in the diet, appears to lower the body’s cholesterol levels.

Until now, many experts assumed that all kinds of saturated fat, including those containing stearic acid, were bad for the heart because they promote clogging deposits of cholesterol.

Grundy said that if people eat moderate portions of lean beef, “it should not be feared as a cholesterol-raising food.”

The research, conducted at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, was scheduled to be published in Thursday’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Beef contains two major forms of saturated fat--stearic acid and palmitic acid. And while stearic acid lowers cholesterol, palmitic acid raises it significantly.

Stearic acid is found in varying amounts in many other foods, including chicken and vegetables.

The researchers said the food industry may be able to use stearic acid to make margarine that is more like butter, as well as a cholesterol-lowering form of shortening for cooking.