More and more middle-aged and elderly people around us are suffering from chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. What should you do if you happen to develop these conditions yourself? Doctors always say to improve your diet and eat less meat, as eating too much meat can lead to the "three highs" (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high blood lipids). This has made many middle-aged and elderly friends afraid to eat meat... Many people have heard this saying: middle-aged and elderly people should eat less meat, as eating too much can lead to the "three highs." In fact, this is wrong. If middle-aged and elderly friends do not pay attention to a balanced diet and refuse to eat certain foods, they can actually accelerate the decline of their body's organ functions.
Nutrition experts say that middle-aged and elderly people should eat meat, but they need to pay attention to how they eat it.
Eating meat does not cause cholesterol levels to rise
Today, the internet is flooded with information claiming that eating too much meat easily leads to cardiovascular diseases and the "three highs," which makes elderly people even more worried about meat consumption raising their blood cholesterol levels.
In reality, the cholesterol in meat has little effect on raising human cholesterol levels. The body's cholesterol has two sources: about 70% to 80% is synthesized by the liver, and only a small part comes from diet.
Moreover, the cholesterol in food is actually a type of lipid, a nutrient that our bodies need. It is a main component of cell membranes and is also used to synthesize vitamin D, bile, and some hormones.
The cholesterol in food has little impact on cholesterol levels in the blood, so there's no need to worry too much about it, and certainly don't assume that eating meat will lead to high cholesterol.
When eating meat, what you should pay attention to is fat
Although the cholesterol in meat is not a major concern, many cholesterol-rich meats, especially red meat (pork, beef, and lamb), should still be eaten in moderation. The fat in these types of meat often contains a large amount of unhealthy saturated fat.
Therefore, when eating meat, you should try to eat lean meat and avoid fatty cuts.
Pairing meat with beans to prevent arteriosclerosis
Bean products contain a large amount of lecithin, which can emulsify plasma, making cholesterol and fat particles smaller so they don't deposit on the artery walls, preventing the formation of arteriosclerotic plaques. For example, stir-frying lean meat with soybeans or adding dried tofu (fuzhu) to stewed meat are good options.
Beans contain protein, essential fats, and some bioactive compounds, making them excellent antioxidants. They not only promote health and maintain a healthy weight but can also effectively fight diseases and cancer.
Eating poultry is better than eating livestock, and eating fish is better than eating poultry
There are rules to eating meat; remember this saying: "Eating poultry is better than eating livestock, and eating fish is better than eating poultry." This means that eating meat from livestock like pigs, cows, and sheep is not as good as eating poultry like chickens, ducks, and geese, and eating poultry is not as good as eating fish and seafood. Livestock meat is high in fat, which is hard to digest and can affect blood sugar and blood lipids. Poultry has less fat, and fish is especially suitable for the elderly.
In other words, the elderly have a reduced capacity for protein synthesis and lower protein utilization rates, so it is recommended to choose high-quality protein sources. This mainly means eating less red meat and trying to eat more white meat instead.