Is Beef Bad for Your Heart?

COOT SALUTE ✊

Phil here from the ranch — boots muddy, coffee strong, heart healthy. Today we’re tackling one of the most common questions folks toss our way:

“Does eating beef increase the risk of heart disease?”

Well, saddle up — because, in our opinion, the answer isn’t what the headlines shout. And thanks to some fresh research and a dose of old-fashioned common sense, there’s a clearer picture than ever.

IT’S NOT THE COW. IT’S THE HOW.

The big problem with most of the “red meat is bad” messaging?
They mix processed meat, fast-food meat, feedlot meat, factory-seasoned deli slices, and your grandma’s Sunday roast into one giant stew pot… then blame the beef.

But research says otherwise.

WHAT NEW STUDIES ACTUALLY SHOW

✅ 1. PURE Study (21 countries, 134,000+ people)

The massive PURE study found:

• Processed meat → significantly higher risk of heart disease.
• Unprocessed red meat → no significant association with major cardiovascular disease.

Translation, ranch-style:
It ain’t the cow — it’s the junk added after the cow.
Source: Dehghan et al., 2021, Am J Clin Nutr. (PURE Study)

AND NOW… SOME THOUGHTS FROM THE WESTON A. PRICE FOUNDATION

The Weston A. Price Foundation dug deep into red-meat hysteria and found a few truths worth carving into the barn door. This is a great read to get your gears turning…and if you don’t already know about the Weston a Price Foundation go check them out!

“Painting red meat with a broad brush…”

The WHO lumps beef, veal, lamb, pork, horse, and goat all together —
and admits their “probable carcinogen” label is based on limited evidence.

“How do we know it’s the red meat—and not the other foods?”

Chris Kresser’s question cuts through the fog:
Is it the meat causing harm, or the ultra-processed oils, seed-oil fries, sodas, preservatives, and lifestyle that tag along with it?

Traditional diets tell a different story

In cultures where beef is eaten without vegetable oils, additives, and modern processing, red-meat consumption isn’t linked to cancer or heart disease.

Even the WHO admits…

Red meat “has not been established as a cause of cancer.”

Source:
Weston A. Price Foundation, “Red Meat: The Food They Love to Hate,” 2018.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOUR HEART?

✅ If you live on deli slices, fast-food burgers, and sausage logs…

Yeah, your ticker may have something to say.

✅ But if you’re eating real, unprocessed beef…

Grass-fed, pasture-raised, traceable — and you're pairing it with whole foods, veggies, good fats, and an active life —the risk picture changes dramatically.

✅ Heart health comes from patterns

Not one steak.
Not one meal.
But the whole lifestyle.

HOW WE RAISE BEEF AT 2 COOTS RANCH (AND WHY IT MATTERS)

• No processing
• No preservatives
• No factory additives
• No mystery scraps or fillers
• Just cattle raised slow, steady, and stress-free…on grass!
• American Non-GMO feed, local hay, pasture time, and real stewardship

This is beef your great-grandparents would recognize.

And that matters — for your heart, your health, your family, and your future.

THE COOT BOTTOM LINE

Here’s the straight-shooting truth:

From what we see, unprocessed, farm-raised beef does not carry the same heart-disease risk as processed, industrial meat.

Diet pattern, lifestyle, cooking method, and cattle quality matter far more.

It’s not the cow.
It’s the how.

And around here?
We do the “how” right.

CITATIONS (...FOR YOU FACT CHECKERS)

1. Dehghan M. et al. (2021). Associations of unprocessed and processed meat with cardiovascular disease. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33787869/
2. Weston A. Price Foundation. “Red Meat: The Food They Love to Hate.” (2018). https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/abcs-of-nutrition/red-meat-food-love-hate/