Many people think that switching to chicken is a healthy choice when they need to lower their cholesterol. But did you know that foods that truly lower your cholesterol are high in fiber and low in fat? Unfortunately, neither chicken nor beef fits that bill. Fiber is crucial for lowering cholesterol as it acts like a sponge, soaking it up and eliminating it from your body.
On top of that, both chicken and beef pack a lot of fat. Calculating the fat content in meat is nearly impossible with all the variables at play — like the cut, part of the chicken, how it was raised, and how it's cooked. Trying to figure it out just isn't worth the hassle.
Also, meat is loaded with animal protein, which carries its own dangers. Some folks think chicken isn't meat and doesn't pose the same risks as beef. But that’s a complete myth.
In 2019, researchers found that both chicken and beef raised cholesterol levels equally. Switching from beef to chicken didn’t help lower cholesterol levels at all.
And remember, ALL meat is trouble. Whether it’s chicken, cow, pig, lamb, deer, or any other animal, it affects the microbes in your gut. Meat contains carnitine and choline, which are inflammatory and harmful. These compounds are used by gut microbes to create trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), which ramps up cholesterol production and sends fat straight to your artery walls, increasing your risk of heart attack or stroke.
Just the other day, someone told me she ate chicken five days a week, thinking it was a healthier option. She was shocked to find out that eating chicken isn’t much better than eating beef. Yikes!
Sure, you can take statins to lower your cholesterol, but they can come with serious side effects like joint pain, elevated blood sugar, sleep problems, and more.
Instead, try swapping out chicken for plant-based protein sources like chickpeas, beans, lentils, peas, whole grains, and vegetables 🥕🥦🥔. These foods are rich in fiber and low in fat, making them excellent for lowering cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure, while also helping with weight management.
How's that for side effects? 😉
Bergeron N, Chiu S, Williams PT, M King S, Krauss RM. Effects of red meat, white meat, and non-meat protein sources on atherogenic lipoprotein measures in the context of low compared with high saturated fat intake: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019 Jul 1;110(1):24-33. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz035. Erratum in: Am J Clin Nutr. 2019 Sep 1;110(3):783. PMID: 31161217; PMCID: PMC6599736.
Gilsing A., Matty P. Weijenberg, Laura A.E. Hughes, Ton Ambergen, Pieter C. Dagnelie, R. Alexandra Goldbohm, Piet A. van den Brandt, Leo J. Schouten. Longitudinal Changes in BMI in Older Adults Are Associated with Meat Consumption Differentially, by Type of Meat Consumed123, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 142, Issue 2, 2012, Pages 340-349, ISSN 0022-3166, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.111.146258.
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