From staff reports National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Executive Director of Nutrition and Research Dr. Shalene McNeill reviewed the latest beef nutrition research.
“Research takes forever to get those results, so it is a patient process,” McNeill said. “At any given time, the checkoff has about 20 human nutrition trials going on where we are studying all of the various aspects about beef. But here recently, we have had some great studies that have been published out in the peer review that were really important research questions answered.”
McNeill said that research addressed the question of whether or not red meat causes inflammation. Beef Checkoff research, conducted through the Baylor College of Medicine, found no association between increased inflammation and red meat consumption.
Highlighting the potential benefits of beef for aging individuals, McNeill said, “We have done research to look at, if older people, 65 to 85, eat a meat meal, a meal with meat or a vegan meal, what happens to their muscle protein. Even if they have the same amount of protein, two diets with a lot of protein in them—one vegan protein, and one meat protein—what we see is that muscle reacts differently to meat protein.”
The study found a 47% increase in muscle synthesis for individuals who ate beef. This is especially critical in the elderly, McNeill said, because muscle synthesis is important for building muscle.
“Not all proteins are created equal, and we know that beef protein is delivering on building that muscle,” she said.
McNeill supported the importance of peer review in Beef Checkoff-funded research, as it maintains scientific integrity. She emphasized the lack of bias in these studies, as scientists are expected to publish their results regardless of the outcome, including any outcomes negative to the beef industry.
“That is why the Beef Checkoff research is so high in scientific integrity,” she said. “I think that is why it has had the impact that it has had on improving beef demand over the years.”