Beef slightly edges out chicken for gut health benefits in new research study

A new study suggests that lean beef may be slightly less disruptive to gut microbiota than white-meat chicken, though the differences were modest and require further research.

While it’s well-established that foods like fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fermented dairy products can promote beneficial gut bacteria, diets high in meat, fat and sugar are often associated with reduced microbial diversity. 

However, many previous studies compared meat-inclusive diets to vegetarian ones — and rarely differentiated between types of meat.

STUDY CLAIMS VEGETARIANS MORE ‘AMBITIOUS’ AS MEAT EATERS CALL OUT ‘OVERSIMPLIFICATION’

So researchers in Spain set out to analyze how lean, white-meat chicken compared to lean, red meat from Pirenaica cattle, which are indigenous to the Pyrenees mountains. 

Researchers looked at how the two protein sources impacted gut microbial diversity, which is essential for digestion, nutrient absorption and immune function. 

Published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research in July, the research found that both diets caused modest changes to the gut microbiota.

While there were no statistically significant differences in overall microbial diversity between the chicken and beef diets, the chicken-based meals were associated with a decline in diversity, as well as reductions in certain beneficial bacterial groups.

By contrast, the beef-based diet showed a slightly smaller impact on microbial diversity, with only one notable reduction in the abundance of a bacterial group known as Chloroflexota. It also appeared to increase the presence of Blautia, a genus of bacteria that can help protect the intestinal mucus barrier and reduce inflammation.

CONTROVERSIAL SEED OILS MAY OFFER UNEXPECTED HEALTH BENEFITS, NEW RESEARCH SHOWS

Lower microbial diversity has been observed in various chronic health conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. 

“These findings suggest that the integration of lean red meat from beef (Pirenaica breed) into a healthy dietary pattern could positively influence not only the gut microbiota but also some health indicators,” the researchers wrote.

The gut microbiome helps determine the likelihood of developing chronic conditions like inflammatory bowel disease. (iStock)

The study looked at 16 healthy individuals, most of whom were between 18 and 22 years old, who ate lean beef and white-meat chicken at lunchtime three times a week for eight weeks. 

After a five-week “washout period,” during which participants resumed their normal diets to reset their gut microbiota, they switched to the other meat diet. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

The two meats were stewed, roasted, grilled and breaded. Stool samples were collected at the beginning and end of each diet period.

‘No significant differences’

The researchers highlighted that Pirenaica beef is naturally rich in potassium, zinc and B vitamins, which may have contributed to its relatively gentler impact on gut health. The results, they said, may not apply to other types of beef or to meats prepared or consumed differently.

The study also relied on self-reported dietary intake; participants’ full diets weren’t strictly controlled. 

Other foods eaten during the trial could have influenced gut microbial changes, which is a limitation the authors acknowledged.

Sixteen participants ate lean beef and white-meat chicken three times a week for eight weeks.  (iStock)

Additionally, with just 16 participants, the findings should be viewed as preliminary and not broadly generalizable. 

The researchers called for larger and more diverse studies to explore the complex relationship between different meat types and gut health.

Fox News Digital reached out to the study’s authors for comment.

For more Lifestyle articles, visit foxnews.com/lifestyle

Hope Barkoukis, chair of Case Western Reserve University’s Department of Nutrition in Ohio, said the research underscores the importance of meat quality and moderation within overall dietary patterns. Barkoukis was not involved in the study.

The findings are consistent with previous research showing that lean beef can be part of a healthy, balanced diet, said one nutritionist.

“The shifts in microbiota composition seen may hold promise, but this was a small study and the authors explicitly state that no significant differences were found in overall microbial diversity,” Baroukis told Fox News Digital. 

“The findings are better viewed as hypothesis-generating rather than clinically actionable.”

The research underscores the importance of meat quality and moderation within overall dietary patterns, said one expert.  (iStock)

Shalene McNeill, a registered dietitian nutritionist and executive director of nutrition research for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), told Fox News Digital the findings are consistent with previous research showing that lean beef can be part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Federal law requires cattle producers to contribute $1 per head of cattle sold to the Beef Checkoff program, which funds beef-related marketing and research initiatives.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Beef farmers and ranchers, through the Beef Checkoff program, continue to invest in scientific research to advance the understanding of beef’s role in health and well-being,” McNeill said. “This study can be used to inform future research, as the study authors have suggested.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the American Poultry Association.