Experts hail pork as the ‘healthiest meat’ as new study finds it is as good for you as lentils, peas and beans

Adding lean pork to your diet could help you live longer, with minimally processed cuts boasting the same health benefits as chickpeas, lentils and beans scientists say. 

Pork has come under fire in recent years, with scientists calling for bacon and ham to carry cigarette-style labels warning that the chemicals used in the manufacturing process cause bowel cancer. 

But in a new study, US researchers found that introducing minimally processed red meat in a plant-forward diet could have a positive effect on biomarkers of cognitive and physical ageing. 

Research has long underpinned a link between poor metabolic health and the development of dementia, type 2 diabetes and heart disease – with obesity being strongly associated with age-related cognitive decline. 

Saba Vaezi, an expert in clinical nutrition and study co-author, said: ‘Given these interconnections, lifestyle interventions that target metabolic health hold great promise for preserving both cognitive and physical function in older adults.’ 

Publishing their findings in the journal Current Developments in Nutrition, scientists studied the health outcomes of 36 healthy 65-year-olds.  

Participants were randomly assigned a diet containing either minimally processed lean pork as their primary source of protein, or chickpeas, lentils, split peas and black beans. 

Pork was roasted in a rotisserie-style oven, using just olive oil and salt, to allow excess fat to drain naturally during cooking. 

Over the eight weeks, participants were asked to refrain from non-study foods (including soy, beef, poultry, seafood and artificial sweeteners), alcohol and supplements.

Each meal included plant foods and a moderate amount of eggs, dairy and plant oils. 

After the eight-week trial period, there was a wash-out period of two weeks where participants could eat as normal. 

At the end of each phase, participants completed a questionnaire which confirmed whether they had followed the meal-plan as required. 

The survey also included questions assessing a participants’ likelihood of continuing the diet after the study ended to capture the potential for longer-term changes. 

Blood samples were collected at baseline and at the end of each dietary phase. 

The researchers analysed the samples for various blood markers including cholesterol levels, circulating blood glucose and ferritin – a measure of how much iron the body has stored. 

‘These biomarkers are relevant to the health of older adults given their roles in heart disease, insulin resistance, iron stores, neuroinflammation and neuroplasticity, all of which are increasingly recognised as interconnected factors influencing cognitive aging,’ Vaezi explained. 

The researchers found that both diets resulted in favorable changes in insulin sensitivity, supporting the idea that a high protein diet is effective in improving insulin resistance. 

Insulin resistance means that cells in your muscles, fat and liver don’t respond well to the hormone insulin, which causes blood sugar levels to rise and increases the risk of diabetes. 

The researchers noted that both diets resulted in weight-loss, but eating pork helped preserve muscle mass in older adults, suggesting that moderate consumption of lean red meats such as pork may help support muscle-maintenance with aging. 

Total cholesterol levels also dropped after following the diet plans, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. 

Interestingly, the pork diet resulted in a smaller drop in levels of good, or HDL, cholesterol, which helps stop plaque from building-up in the arteries. 

Both diets were also associated with favourable changes in circulating amino acids, responsible for mood regulation, immune function and gut health.

The researchers concluded: ‘Our findings within the context of a plant-forward healthy dietary pattern support the idea that lean, minimally processed red meat can be consumed regularly without adverse cognitive-related metabolic consequences.’ 

This, they say, has important public health implications especially for older adults in communities where red meat is a cultural staple. 

However, the study has some limitations which the researchers acknowledged, including its relatively short duration and small sample size, with longer-term interventions needed to determine where these effects persists over time. 

The research comes after experts from BBC Good Food, who studied the health benefits of over 1,000 foods ranked pork fat eighth in their top 100. 

They gave the pork fat – also known as lard – a score of 73/100, praising it as a natural source of B vitamins. 

Dr Eric Berg, a medical doctor and keto expert, previously praised pork fat for its appetite-busting properties. 

He said: ‘Pure lard is pig fat that is rendered and purified, often used in cooking for its high smoke point and rich taste and texture.

‘Lard contains no carbohydrates and offers both saturated and monounsaturated fats. Incorporating lard into your diet helps you keep full and satisfied, reducing the temptation to snack between meals’

However, a coalition of scientists warned last year that over 5,400 bowel cancer cases each year in the UK are caused by eating processed meats such as bacon, sausages and ham.

The call to action came exactly ten years after the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer classified processed meat as a group 1 carcinogen – placing it in the same risk category as tobacco and asbestos. 

Despite this, experts accused ministers of doing ‘virtually nothing’ to reduce Britons exposure. 

Current NHS guidelines advise limiting processed meat consumption to no more than 70g a day – around two rashers of bacon. Current NHS guidelines advise limiting processed meat consumption to no more than 70g a day – around two rashers of bacon.