AA in meat

[ntonkin]

Hi-- Does anyone know if boiling meat or poutry that has been cut in thin strips lowers the arachidonic acid content of the meat? I bought a half beef (no protein, antibiotics or hormones in the feed or animal) last fall that was grass and grain fed. I soak the meat in the red wine and olive oil mixture the Eades recommend, and then grill it, if it is a relatively flat piece. I have taken the roasts and sliced them very thin, then boiled the meat til most of the fat renders out, and then used the meat in soups and stews. True, most of the soluable vitamins go as well, but I am looking for non-inflammation producing protein.

It is a pain doing this, but free range poultry is non-existant where I live, and grass fed beef is so unpopular that I am having to wait a few months until somebody else wants part of the beef I am buying. Buying the whole thing is too expensive for me. The Protein Power lifeplan is the way to go, but I have learned that you have a patient, philosophical attitude about it. Trying to replicate as best you can the diet of our prehistoric ancestors is not easy! Hope somebody has some thoughts about whether I am wasting my time boiling the meat. robyn

[Gaelen]

Hi, ntonkin...here is an excerpt from the Protein Power LifePlan FAQ that deals with arachidonic acid reduction. It might give you some more effective ideas about how to prepare red meat when you eat it.

from the Protein Power Lifeplan FAQ:
It's not the cholesterol in red meat and egg yolks that is the problem. It's the fact that they are high in arachidonic acid, which can promote or worsen the above conditions.

Here is the strategy for these folks to follow: Eliminate red meat and egg yolks from your diet completely for three weeks. At the end of the three-week period, take stock of your health. Has it improved? Eat a large portion of red meat and eggs for a couple of meals and observe what happens. If your problems reappear of get worse, you are sensitive to arachidonic acid and should have these foods only once in a while. When you do have them, make sure to remove as much of the fat from the beef as possible. Grill the beef. This will reduce the arachidonic acid by as much as 35%. Another option is to marinate the meat in a combination of red wine and olive oil or light sesame oil for 24 hours before grilling.

As far as eggs are concerned, have no more than one or two whole eggs at a sitting, and eat egg whites the rest of the time. Also, you should avoid margarine altogether (as everyone should)."

Bear in mind, the first recommendation if you are sensitive to AA is to eliminate the problem--red meat and egg yolks--or greatly reduce your consumption. The Drs. Eades don't mention or provide remedy for any arachidonic acid issues in poultry; you should be able to eat egg whites, poultry, pork, and fish without inflammation issues found from consuming red meat or egg yolks.

I'm not sure I'd boil red meat before using it in soups or stews; why not just marinate the larger cuts, as suggested, and then grill them before using in soups or stews? That would certainly be a lot less work. ;)

I know some people medically need to attempt as close to a purist version of the plan as possible, but if the issue is availability, well--before instantly globally available foodstuffs, man ate the things he could readily access. If you can't get free range/organic poultry, that doesn't mean you have to write off poultry. Look for kosher poultry, which is also raised and processed without hormone-enriched feed products.

There are also a lot of other protein sources that don't cause inflammation--including fish, pork, lamb, game. All of those things would be a lot easier on the cook and wonderful variety for your diet. And you wouldn't have to worry about hyper-prepping the beef. Hope this helps. ;)