Overview
- In a randomized crossover controlled feeding trial, 30 adults completed four separate four-week diets, including three Mediterranean-style plans with 0.5, 2.5, or 5.5 ounces of lean beef and an American diet with 2.5 ounces of regular beef.
- Blood TMAO levels were lower on Mediterranean diets with 0.5 or 2.5 ounces of lean beef compared with the American diet.
- The Mediterranean diet with 5.5 ounces of lean beef produced TMAO levels that were not different from the American diet.
- Investigators emphasized that overall diet quality, featuring fruits, vegetables, and olive oil, mattered more for TMAO than small differences in lean beef portions.
- The peer-reviewed study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, involved relatively young, healthy participants, focused on unprocessed lean cuts, and disclosed funding from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and Penn State.