digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: Dr. Eric Westman says that if you eat steak, you should avoid corn-finished beef and choose grass-fed and grass-finished beef, but he does not find the evidence strong enough to require this for his patients. He argues that Dr. Steven Gundry's claims about omega-6 fats and aldehydes in marbled steak are largely theoretical and not supported by human clinical trials, and that carbohydrate reduction matters far more.
Key Points
- Westman critiques Gundry's content as mostly pre-clinical or theoretical, arguing that human clinical trials are needed before making clinical recommendations.
- He says the association between red meat and poor health comes from nutritional epidemiology, which shows association rather than causation.
- He notes that "grass-fed" has no federal legal definition, so labels can be misleading, and that cattle may be finished on corn and soybeans for about six weeks before slaughter.
- He argues that in a low-carb or ketogenic program with no ultra-processed or sugary foods, the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of steak matters very little, since omega-6 intake is already low.
- He describes Dr. Gundry's framing of consommé in traditional diets, and notes his own research observations in Andorra, Italy, Spain, France, and Portugal, while cautioning that selection bias and genetics may explain longevity there.
Details Worth Noting
-
Concrete instructions: If buying steak, look for grass-fed and grass-finished beef, since labels such as "grass-fed" alone are not legally defined and cattle may still be finished on corn. Contact the company and ask what they do if you have doubts about the label. Choose fillet over ribeye if you want less marbling and the fat content associated with corn feeding, as Gundry recommends. Westman says he does not require this for his patients and that these choices are optional.
-
Westman says meat should not be the main component of the plate; he recommends filling the plate with vegetables and treating meat as the garnish, consistent with his low-carb approach. He also suggests the benefit of reducing carbohydrates is far larger than any steak-type choice.
-
Gundry's claim that corn-fed fat produces aldehydes, including formaldehyde-like compounds, is criticized by Westman, who says the claim has no human trial support.
-
He warns against assuming bone broth is healthy, citing high arsenic and lead levels in bones.
Bottom Line
Westman views Gundry's steak warnings as an interesting theory without clinical proof, and his own priority is cutting carbohydrates, with grass-finished beef as an optional refinement rather than a requirement.
