This Is the Worst Type of Meat for Heart Health, According to a Cardiologist

For as long as the human race has lived on this planet, meat has been a part of our diets. And although there are more vegetarians and vegans nowadays, Americans continue to consume high volumes of meat.

As Ipsos reported in 2021, 89% of Americans include meat as part of their diets. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) said in 2021 that between 63% and 74% of people eat red or processed meat every day. And interestingly, just 12% of Americans eat half the nation’s beef, according to a 2023 study, since these meat eaters disproportionately prefer beef to all other meats. 

Meat is basically the basis of nearly all Americans’ diets. It’s the main course at meals, the dish that holidays center around and the comfort food of choice, whether it’s fried chicken or a big, juicy steak. Everyone is so accustomed to including meat in their diets that perhaps you haven’t really stopped to wonder: How does meat impact my health?

Even though it’s a staple, meat does have the power to negatively impact our overall health—namely, our heart health. 

How Meat Impacts Health

While meat is undoubtedly a key source of protein, and for those who are anemic, can provide much-needed iron, it does pose a higher risk of certain concerning health conditions, including heart disease, pneumonia and diabetes, as one 2021 study reports.

Meats that are lower in fat and cholesterol, such as chicken and fish, tend to win out as ones that are better for one’s health. But the type of diet that has the most benefits for heart health is, unsurprisingly, a plant-based diet, especially in terms of lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.  

“This is because there is no fat and also because plants generally are high in fiber, which also help to lower cholesterol,” says Joyce Oen-Hsiao, MD, Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine. “Increasing vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, legumes and nuts in the diet is associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular diseases.” 

Although going plant-based is the gold standard for cardiovascular health, Dr. Oen-Hsiao says that if you can’t become a vegetarian for one reason or another, strive for a ratio of food that contains more vegetables, whole grains, more fruits and less red or fatty meats.

“Try to eat more chicken, turkey or fish for your protein,” she says. “If a patient tells me they just cannot get rid of red meat altogether, I recommend they limit their intake to a small cut of steak (4 ounces) once a month.”

The Worst Meat for Heart Health, According to a Cardiologist

Dr. Oen-Hsiao says that there are actually two types of meat that are bad for heart health. First of all, there’s red meat, especially those fatty cuts.

“These meats are high in saturated fat, which can raise LDL cholesterol,” she points out. “Specifically, the high saturated fat content can increase bad cholesterol, which can deposit onto the heart arteries, causing build-up that may eventually block the blood flow within the arteries. These blockages can happen in the heart arteries, which can cause a heart attack, and the brain arteries, which can cause a stroke.”

And the second type of not-so-great meat? Cold cuts and hot dogs, which Dr. Oen-Hsiao says are “not healthy, as they are high in saturated fat and sodium.” She adds that these high levels of sodium can lead to elevated blood pressure and leg swelling.

The cardiologist goes on to say that too much red meat is a risk for cancer and obesity. Then there’s the high nitrate content to worry about in cold cuts and hot dogs. 

“This chemical has been shown to increase the risk for cancer and high blood pressure,” she explains. 

Dr. Oen-Hsiao agrees with the American Heart Association’s recommendation for limiting red meat intake to lean cuts and only 6% of your dietary calories, a far cry from the real amounts of meat, and saturated fats, that Americans are currently consuming. 

“The healthier meats are baked or steamed poultry, without the skin, and fish, preferably salmon and other fish high in omega-3-fatty acids,” she says.