Ground Beef and Cardiovascular Disease

This study tested the hypothesis that ground beef high in monounsaturated fat (MUFA) and low in saturated fat (SFA) would increase the high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentration and low-density lipoprotein particle diameter. In a crossover dietary intervention, 27 free-living normocholesterolemic men completed treatments in which five 114-g ground beef patties/week were consumed for 5 weeks with an intervening 4-week washout period. Patties contained 24% total fat with a MUFA:SFA ratio of either 0.71 (low MUFA, from pasture-fed cattle) or 1.10 (high MUFA, from grain-fed cattle).