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Title: Lean beef contributes significant amounts of key nutrients to the diets of US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004

Author
item ZANOVEC, MICHAEL - LSU Agcenter
item O'NEIL, CAROL - LSU Agcenter
item KEAST, DEBRA - Food And Nutrition Database Research, Inc
item FULGONI, VICTOR - Nutrition Impact, Llc
item NICKLAS, THERESA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Nutrition Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/3/2010
Publication Date: 6/21/2010
Citation: Zanovec, M., O'Neil, C.E., Keast, D.R., Fulgoni, V.L., Nicklas, T.A. 2010. Lean beef contributes significant amounts of key nutrients to the diets of US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004. Nutrition Research. 30(6):375-381.

Interpretive Summary: Consumption of total beef and lean beef (LB) contributed significantly to intake of protein, monounsaturated fatty acids, and other key nutrients in diets of US adults. It is important when designing nutrition policy and making recommendations to the public to be as specific as possible—for example, to consider differences between total and lean meat and to educate the public about choosing heart healthy portion sizes and lean cuts of meat. Data from NHANES 1999-2004 suggested that consumption of LB should be encouraged by health professionals as part of an overall healthy diet. These data show that even the modest amounts of LB consumed contributed significantly to intake of protein, vitamin B12, zinc, and iron while not contributing significantly to overall energy, total fat, or saturated fatty acids intake.

Technical Abstract: Consumption of lean meat is a valuable addition to a healthy diet because it provides complete protein and is a rich source of vitamin B12, iron, and zinc. The objective of this study was to examine the nutritional contribution of total beef and lean beef (LB) to the American diet using the USDA definition of LB as defined in MyPyramid. Twenty-four-hour dietary recall data from adults 19 to 50 years of age (n = 7049) and 51+ years (n = 6243) participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004 were assessed. Lean beef was defined as beef with less than 9.28 g fat per 100 g (excess was discretionary fat). Fifty percent of adults 19 to 50 years and 41 percent of adults 51+ years consumed beef on the day of the dietary recall. Total beef consumed among adults 19 to 50 and 51+ years was 49.3 +/- 1.4 g (1.74 oz/d) and 37.1 +/- 1.2 g (1.31 oz per d), respectively. In adults 19 to 50 and 51+ years, LB contributed 3.9 percent and 3.7 percent to total energy; 4.5 percent and 4.1 percent to total fat, 3.8 percent and 3.6 percent to saturated fatty acids; 13 percent and 11 percent to cholesterol intake; 15 percent and 14 percent to protein; 25 percent and 20 percent to vitamin B12; 23 percent and 20 percent to zinc; and 8 percent and 7 percent to iron, respectively. Beef was also an important food source of many other nutrients, including niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, and potassium. In addition, beef provided only 1 percent of total sodium intake. Consumption of beef contributed significantly to intake of protein and other key nutrients by US adults.