At least we always knew it.:!::!::!::!:
[SIZE=+2]Brisket's good -- and better for you
[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Web Posted: 05/02/2008 11:45 PM CDT
[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]By William Pack
Express-News[/SIZE] Hold on to your toothpicks, barbecue lovers.
Brisket not only is juicy. It could be better for you than other cuts of beef.
“You've got to be careful about calling brisket a health food,” said Stephen Smith, a Texas A&M University professor of animal science. Nevertheless, “it's healthier than we thought — the healthiest cut on the carcass.”
Smith oversaw a graduate student's study that could turn what had been a questionable piece of meat — at least outside of Texas — into a value leader.
A still-unpublished study by a 23-year-old graduate student showed brisket had much higher concentrations of monounsaturated fatty acids than the eight other primary cuts of beef. Those acid chains include oleic acid, the same acid found in olive oil and canola oil.
Prior tests have shown that consumption of oleic acid at higher levels can produce health benefits, including increased production of HDL cholesterol, often known as good cholesterol.
“It was a complete surprise to us,” Smith said.
Stacey Turk, the Kilgore student who conducted the study for her thesis, said she too was surprised at how much better brisket compared in her fatty-acids comparisons.
Turk, who's scheduled to get her master's degree in animal science in a little more than a week, expects that her study will be presented to the meat science journal for publication in about a month, and Smith is confident it will be approved for publication.
“This is something that could help processors and the beef industry,” Turk said.
Sandy Levy, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association in San Antonio, said she would be pleased if the study's results hold up and another item can be added to the association's heart-healthy diet.
“You can't just say, ‘Don't eat brisket' — especially in Texas,” Levy said. “But do it in moderation.”
Turk's study, conducted on the carcasses of 50 cows last year, compared the fatty acid compositions of the eight major cuts — from ribs to flanks and the brisket, which is found below the breast in an area that hangs between the cow's front legs. Turk said prior tests had examined fat levels in different breeds, but none had compared those levels from different areas of the cow.
Smith said prior tests had shown that oleic acid levels in cattle could be increased if they were fed more corn. With corn prices hitting ranchers hard, researchers wanted to see if they could identify the cut of the cow where the healthy acid was heavy already.
The monounsaturated fat composition in brisket was similar to that found in Wagyu beef, which is known for healthier fat composition, Smith said. Turk's studies showed, for instance, that brisket had a 35 percent level of saturated fat, 10 points lower than flank cuts, and a 53 percent level of monounsaturated fats, 11 points higher than flank.
Smith believes the study could improve the value of brisket and other meat products if trimmed brisket fat can be substituted for fat that currently goes into those products. That could reduce the saturated fat content of ground beef and other processed items. Smith said processors could capitalize on the benefits without spending much on new equipment.
That makes sense to Russell Woodward, the Texas Beef Council's senior manager for product marketing.
The flat half of the brisket, which has the fat trimmed off, already is one of the 29 lean cuts of beef, Woodward said. But the brisket has a lot of exterior fat, which while valued for taste can make health-conscious consumers nervous. If that fat content includes more monounsaturated fats, then health concerns would shrink, he said.
“This gives us another leg to stand on to tell our health and nutrition story,” Woodward said.
Red meat has been a concern for heart experts because of its high levels of saturated fat, said Alina Matutes-Eckhardt, a University of Texas Health Science Center nurse practitioner who makes health presentations for the American Heart Association. If the A&M study holds up, Matutes-Eckhardt would encourage patients to consider brisket with their meals, but still to eat in moderation.
“I would not want it eaten daily,” she said.
[SIZE=+2]Brisket's good -- and better for you
[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Web Posted: 05/02/2008 11:45 PM CDT
[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]By William Pack
Express-News[/SIZE] Hold on to your toothpicks, barbecue lovers.
Brisket not only is juicy. It could be better for you than other cuts of beef.
“You've got to be careful about calling brisket a health food,” said Stephen Smith, a Texas A&M University professor of animal science. Nevertheless, “it's healthier than we thought — the healthiest cut on the carcass.”
Smith oversaw a graduate student's study that could turn what had been a questionable piece of meat — at least outside of Texas — into a value leader.
A still-unpublished study by a 23-year-old graduate student showed brisket had much higher concentrations of monounsaturated fatty acids than the eight other primary cuts of beef. Those acid chains include oleic acid, the same acid found in olive oil and canola oil.
Prior tests have shown that consumption of oleic acid at higher levels can produce health benefits, including increased production of HDL cholesterol, often known as good cholesterol.
“It was a complete surprise to us,” Smith said.
Stacey Turk, the Kilgore student who conducted the study for her thesis, said she too was surprised at how much better brisket compared in her fatty-acids comparisons.
Turk, who's scheduled to get her master's degree in animal science in a little more than a week, expects that her study will be presented to the meat science journal for publication in about a month, and Smith is confident it will be approved for publication.
“This is something that could help processors and the beef industry,” Turk said.
Sandy Levy, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association in San Antonio, said she would be pleased if the study's results hold up and another item can be added to the association's heart-healthy diet.
“You can't just say, ‘Don't eat brisket' — especially in Texas,” Levy said. “But do it in moderation.”
Turk's study, conducted on the carcasses of 50 cows last year, compared the fatty acid compositions of the eight major cuts — from ribs to flanks and the brisket, which is found below the breast in an area that hangs between the cow's front legs. Turk said prior tests had examined fat levels in different breeds, but none had compared those levels from different areas of the cow.
Smith said prior tests had shown that oleic acid levels in cattle could be increased if they were fed more corn. With corn prices hitting ranchers hard, researchers wanted to see if they could identify the cut of the cow where the healthy acid was heavy already.
The monounsaturated fat composition in brisket was similar to that found in Wagyu beef, which is known for healthier fat composition, Smith said. Turk's studies showed, for instance, that brisket had a 35 percent level of saturated fat, 10 points lower than flank cuts, and a 53 percent level of monounsaturated fats, 11 points higher than flank.
Smith believes the study could improve the value of brisket and other meat products if trimmed brisket fat can be substituted for fat that currently goes into those products. That could reduce the saturated fat content of ground beef and other processed items. Smith said processors could capitalize on the benefits without spending much on new equipment.
That makes sense to Russell Woodward, the Texas Beef Council's senior manager for product marketing.
The flat half of the brisket, which has the fat trimmed off, already is one of the 29 lean cuts of beef, Woodward said. But the brisket has a lot of exterior fat, which while valued for taste can make health-conscious consumers nervous. If that fat content includes more monounsaturated fats, then health concerns would shrink, he said.
“This gives us another leg to stand on to tell our health and nutrition story,” Woodward said.
Red meat has been a concern for heart experts because of its high levels of saturated fat, said Alina Matutes-Eckhardt, a University of Texas Health Science Center nurse practitioner who makes health presentations for the American Heart Association. If the A&M study holds up, Matutes-Eckhardt would encourage patients to consider brisket with their meals, but still to eat in moderation.
“I would not want it eaten daily,” she said.
