Beef or Chicken: The Surprising Answer from Science

In a recent study published in the scientific journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, researchers investigated the effects of beef and chicken consumption on the gut microbiome.

The gut microbiome has emerged as an important factor in health and disease, according to the medical news site News Medical.

Meanwhile, diet can modulate the diversity, composition, and metabolic activity of the microbiota.

To assess the impact of beef and chicken consumption on the gut microbiota, scientists from the University of Zaragoza, the Aragon Health Research Institute, the Rovira i Virgili University, the School of Health Sciences of the International University of La Rioja and the Spanish National Institute of Health conducted a trial consisting of two intervention phases.

New discovery on the role of beef and chicken in intestinal microorganisms - Photo: AI

Participants were healthy, disease-free, average age 20. They were randomly assigned to a diet based on chicken or lean beef three times a week, in addition to their usual diet.

Participants started with either a chicken- or beef-based diet for eight weeks and then switched to the alternative diet for another eight weeks, with a five-week break between the two phases. The nutritional values ​​of both diets were similar. They also completed a food frequency questionnaire at the start of each intervention.

The researchers calculated a Diet Quality Index to assess overall dietary habits. They also collected stool samples from participants at the beginning and end of each intervention. They then tested the stool samples for bacterial DNA to measure the profiles and analyzed the gut microbiota.

Chicken and beef significantly affect the gut microbiota

Results showed that both dietary interventions had significant effects on the gut microbiota. Both showed a decrease in some health-promoting bacteria.

However, the chicken diet showed a more significant decline, according to News Medical.

Chicken meat consumption was associated with a broader decline in the functional capacity of bacteria involved in fatty acid synthesis, aromatic amino acid synthesis.

Surprisingly, in the beef-fed group, microbial functional activity remained relatively stable.

The researchers concluded: Although both diets reduced bacterial abundance and diversity, the chicken diet caused a more significant decline, suggesting that beef may be less disruptive to the gut microbiome than chicken.

Although some studies have linked red meat consumption to a higher risk of heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, and death, research suggests this effect may come from processed meat.

So, in general, lean beef can fit into a balanced diet if consumed in moderation and unprocessed.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/better-than-the-unexpected-tra-loi-tu-khoa-hoc-185250731155414676.htm