Eating steak daily can be as beneficial as quitting smoking: study

There’s good news for steak-lovers: recent research shows that eating a small steak every day could be as good for you as quitting smoking, according to scientists. This means that people with a protein-rich diet are less likely to have lower blood pressure and more healthy arteries, which significantly lowers the risk heart attack and stroke.

Researchers explain that this is because of amino acids – the building blocks of proteins – which help regenerate the cells, tissues and muscles in our body. The study showed that people who ate high levels of certain amino acids experienced benefits similar to those expected for increasing physical activities, reducing salt intake and quitting smoking.

The research team from the University of East Anglia found that protein-rich foods like meat, fish, dairy produce, beans, lentils, broccoli and spinach contained beneficial compounds. So, having a 75g portion of steak a day, a 100g fillet of salmon or a pint of skimmed milk would help keep heart disease at bay.

The results of the study were based on health data from 2,000 British women and are published in the Journal of Nutrition.