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The One Type Of Meat That Slows Your Metabolism, According To Nutritionists

July 22, 2023 by Faith Geiger

 
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If you’re trying to lose weight, you’re probably highly conscious of all of the foods that go into your body. For example, you may be making an effort to cut back significantly on inflammatory processed foods and replace them with nutrient-rich whole foods. There’s also the importance of choosing the right protein to consider; health experts agree that lean proteins like fish, chicken, and plant-based options are typically a better choice for your health than red meat like beef. However, as it turns out, the type of beef you eat could also be impacting your ability to lose weight. There’s one type of beef in particular that you may not realize could be slowing your metabolism: grain-fed beef, which differs significantly from grass-fed varieties.

But what exactly is grain-fed beef, how is it different from grass-fed beef, and how can it impact your metabolism? To answer these questions, we spoke to nutritionist Lisa Richards, creator of The Candida Diet. She broke it all down for us. Read on for all of her expert insight in the topic.

How grain-fed beef can slow metabolism

You may not have considered how the difference between grain-fed beef (or farmed beef) and grass-fed beef can impact your health before. However, according to Richards, "farmed beef and grass-fed beef have their own unique and distinct nutritional profiles, which could lead to them having a different impact on metabolism."

Here's why: Grain-fed beef, which comes from cows who were raised on grains rather than grass alone, likely has more fat than grass-fed beef. "Farmed beef may have a higher fat content, particularly higher levels of unhealthy saturated fats, which can contribute to weight gain if consumed in excess," Richards explains. "A diet high in saturated fats can potentially have negative effects on metabolism, as it may lead to insulin resistance and an increased risk of metabolic disorders." Who knew?!

Grass-fed beef, on the other hand, offers less saturated fats and more healthy fats. "Grass-fed beef often contains lower total fat content and a healthier balance of fats, including higher levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and lower levels of omega-6 fatty acids," Richards tells us. "These healthier fats may have positive effects on metabolism and can potentially support better weight management."

For this reason, choosing grass-fed beef whenever possible is one good but lesser-known measure to take while navigating your weight loss journey. Of course, you can always take it a step further and do away with red meat altogether; lean meats and plant-based proteins are great, weight loss-friendly alternatives.

The bottom line

At the end of the day, there are many factors that affect your metabolism and your overall ability to lose weight. Achieving the body of your dreams will require dedication to a great workout regimen and a balanced diet—which requires more than making one small change. Choosing grass-fed beef alone likely isn't enough to push you to your goal weight. However, it can be one good step in the right direction.

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