No, Omega 3-Enriched Beef Is Not Necessarily Heart Healthy

Feeding cattle flaxseed or marine algae can raise the omega-3 fatty acid levels in ground beef from 30 milligrams per serving to 200 milligrams per serving, as Kansas State University researchers have found. But do higher levels of omega-3s make red meat significantly healthier?   Not according to Kim Larson, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The attempt to make beef look like an important source of omega-3s is essentially a marketing ploy, she said. And despite the fatty acid's reputation as a health food, the nutrition community isn't even aligned on the healthfulness of omega-3s. On one hand, omega-3s provide anti-inflammatory and anti-blood clotting effects, and can reduce the risk of diabetes, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, asthma and inflammatory bowel syndrome, according to the National Library of Medicine. In high doses, however, omega-3s have been linked to prostate cancer, according to a large-scale study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2013. It's important to note that not all omega-3s are created equal. One type, alpha-linolenic acid, is plant-based, while two other acid types, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic, are primarily found in fish like salmon. "I would caution anyone from depending on flaxseed-fortified beef to get their DHA instead of eating fish," Larson sai...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news