Ground beef produced from the brisket contains high levels of oleic acid, which increases levels of HDL or good cholesterol in humans, Stephen Smith, Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist, told beef producers at the recent 62nd Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course held at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
“Brisket has higher oleic acid than the flank or plate, which are the trims typically used to produce ground beef,” he said in a Texas A&M article. “The fat in brisket also has a low melting point, that’s why the brisket is so juicy. That’s also why we like it so much here in Texas, and it’s by far the most popular choice for Texas barbecue.”
Smith soon will submit the results of studies summarizing his work to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The series focuses on ground beef intake and plasma risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. Recently, he co-authored a research article on marbling for the association, available here.
“The primary goal of my research program is to evaluate methods to increase the marbling and healthfulness of beef,” Smith said. “My universe evolves around oleic acid. It’s the most abundant fatty acid in beef. It’s also most abundant in canola oil and olive oil. When cattle are fed high-concentrated diets for a long period, the meat becomes high in oleic acid and other monounsaturated fats."
In studies conducted at Texas A&M, Smith said results have shown that good cholesterol (HDL) always increases in people who are fed ground beef high in oleic acid.
“Ground beef is not going to kill you,” Smith said. “When you take the beef out of fat, it reduces LDL, but also reduces HDL,” he said. “Our studies have shown that fat is a very important component of beef.”