A Red 038; White Platter

IT8217;S A study that could be as controversial as the Atkins8217; Diet. A US university recently concluded that given specifics in cut, s...

IT8217;S A study that could be as controversial as the Atkins8217; Diet. A US university recently concluded that given specifics in cut, size and cooking method, red meat 8216;8216;does not result in increasing the level of LDL or bad cholesterol8217;8217;. So does it mean bye-bye chicken, hello mutton or pork or beef? Not quite, say Indian nutritionists, insisting that the other food in the Indian diet does not make for a healthy combination with red meat.

What is the red versus white meat debate all about?
Ever since consciousness about food values grew, especially in the west, the cholesterol and fat content of red meat have been held responsible for clogging arteries and leading to heart ailments. Pork has the highest calorific and cholesterol content, followed by beef and mutton. White meat includes chicken, prawns, lobster and fish. While calorifically there is little difference between red and white meat 8212; two piece servings of mutton and chicken will both have 80 calories 8212; white meat is considered 8216;good8217; as it has very little cholesterol. 8216;8216;Red meat is very high in LDL cholesterol, which increases the risk of cardiac diseases. The fat content is higher in organ meat like liver and kidney,8217;8217; says Dr Nitish Chandra, consultant cardiologist at Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre.

What is triggering the new debate?
While red meat has long been considered unadvisable for heart patients, a study in the west recently suggested that the risk of coronary heart disease is actually reduced on the consumption of upto six ounces of lean red meat at least five days a week. One hundred men and women with mild to moderate blood cholesterol levels derived 80 per cent of their diet from lean red meat for nine months, while another 100 did the same with lean white meat. Lean meat, as defined in the US, is any meat with less than 10 gms of total fat, 4 gms of saturated fat and less than 95 mgs of cholesterol for a three ounce serving 8212; equal to the size of a deck of cards. Finally, with both groups, the good cholesterol High Density Level increased and the bad cholesterol fell. The combination of the two, according to scientists, reduces risk of coronary heart disease to about 10 per cent.

Does it work for Indians as well?
Experts don8217;t agree, blaming the food combinations in the country. 8216;8216;Good cholesterol levels can increase only when lean meat is not combined with cereals and alcohol. The three can be a deadly combination,8217;8217; explains Dr Shikha Sharma, a New Delhi-based Weight Management Consultant. 8216;8216;The cooking method is as important as choosing cuts of lean meat. Grilling and broiling, which don8217;t require adding extra fat, is preferable to frying, which produces harmful fatty acids.8217;8217;

How much non-veg food can be consumed safely by a person with normal cholesterol levels?
8226; Red meat: Once or twice a week, but not more than three pieces.
8226; Chicken: Upto four times a week, maybe even twice on certain days.
8226; Fish: Everyday, no bars on this food.
8226; Egg: The white is okay, but the yolk is very high in cholesterol.

How can the risk from red meat be reduced?
8226; Eat red meat in combination with vegetables, avoid making a batter.
8226; Don8217;t eat cereals with red meat.
8226; Eat loads of fresh fruits and vegetables, which provide the roughage that reduces cholesterol absorption.
8226; Under medical supervision, detox weekly by eating only fruits with lemon and ginger water for the whole day.
8226; Try having Isabgol, which binds cholesterol and does not allow it to be absorbed.