Yes, you read right.
Steak may actually repair your heart.
New research published in the journal Nutrition indicates that consuming meat can positively impact your heart. “The impact is the same as if you were to stop smoking, cut back on your sodium intake, or exercise more,” explained Korin Miller in For a Healthier Heart, Eat … Steak? on Yahoo Health in August of 2015.
Researchers were looking at intake of seven amino acids (the building blocks of protein) recognized as possessing heart-healthy properties.
In a comparative study of twins, researchers found that the twin with the healthier heart consumed more of the amino acids found in protein-rich foods like meat, fish, dairy, beans, lentils, broccoli, and spinach.
In our bodies, amino acids help generate new tissue and repair damaged tissue. Researchers found that consuming more amino acids from meat (glutamic acid, leucine, and tyrosine) resulted in less-stiff arteries.
These same animal-based amino acids were also linked to lower blood pressure. “Since both high blood pressure and stiff arteries are linked to heart disease, researchers concluded that getting more amino acids in your diet — from meat and plants — can have a positive impact on your heart,” Miller summarized.
The thing to keep in mind is that a little goes a long way. A palm-sized steak (3 ounces) provides enough of the essential amino acids to be beneficial to heart hearth.