Eating a thick, juicy steak can feel like an indulgence on a special occasion, especially when paired with potatoes and a glass of cabernet. According to a 2023 study in Nutrients, 12% of the U.S. population eats 50% of beef as more people follow ketogenic and plant-based diets. It may not sound surprising that men eat more beef than women.
Still, men over 50 need to pay more attention to their diet to prevent age-related diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease. This often means avoiding foods high in saturated fat, like red meat. According to The Bearded Butchers, ribeye steak is the most popular steak, but because the meat comes from the rib area, it is marbled with fat.
A 100-gram serving (just over 3 ounces) of grilled ribeye steak contains 17 grams of fat and 6.5 grams of saturated fat. Prime rib is even worse, with 27 grams of fat and 11 grams of saturated fat in a 100-gram serving. For comparison, grilled top round steak contains 3.8 grams of fat and 1.6 grams of saturated fat per 100 grams. Saturated fat and red meat are often associated with many health risks as we age.
Health risks from saturated fat in ribeye steak
Look at your typical portion of steak. If it’s bigger than a deck of cards, you’re getting more than an 85g portion. Your restaurant portion of steak might be much larger, like the 350g ribeye steak at Outback. That might give you about 24g of saturated fat in your entrée, and that doesn’t include if you add a little butter to your potatoes.
Saturated fats are linked to higher levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood, although not all saturated fats lead to heart disease. High cholesterol, especially LDL levels above 100, can lead to heart disease or stroke. The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fats to 5 to 6 percent of your daily calorie intake. If you’re not active, men over 50 need between 2,000 and 2,200 calories per day. That’s 132 calories, or less than 15 grams of saturated fat per day if you’re aiming for 2,200 calories.
Other health risks of red meat
Red meat provides you with important amino acids, vitamins and minerals for your diet, but eating red meat every day is also linked to several other health risks, according to a 2016 study in the Journal of Internal Medicine. For every 100 grams of red meat you eat per day, you increase your risk of diabetes. Although red meat does not affect your blood sugar, researchers are still unsure of which components might affect your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Eating red meat is also linked to an increased risk of cancer, particularly cancer of the digestive system. Researchers suspect that the release of free iron and heme may increase inflammation, damage cells, and cause genetic mutations that can lead to cancer.
Regardless of the saturated fat in your steak, eating it every day increases your risk of early death, according to a 2018 study in Clinical Nutrition. For people over 45, the risk of death was 47% higher if they ate an extra serving of red or processed meat. You should replace some of your red meat with fruits, vegetables and healthy fats. Choosing foods high in saturated fats instead of healthier fats and carbohydrates also leads to a higher risk of early death.
