Beef and pork: the same red meat, different numbers

Across 36 randomized trials, diets that swapped red meat for plant protein lowered LDL cholesterol slightly more than red meat diets, by a mean of 0.19 (95% credible interval 0.03 to 0.36). The abstract does not state the unit. Beef and pork were pooled, and the authors rate the certainty low to very low. In 18 trials with C-reactive protein data, eating more red meat raised that marker by 0.23 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.39). The rise showed in people with cardiometabolic disease but not in those without it, and not in the subgroup eating unprocessed red meat. The WHO counts pork as red meat alongside beef, so both meats sit inside these results. The two part ways in the composition data. Raw beef tenderloin has about 2.5 mg iron per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 0.93 mg in pork tenderloin, and 3.2 mg zinc against 1.8 mg, across 8 USDA samples per cut. Pork has the edge on thiamin, 0.6 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 0.067 mg in beef in US survey averages that blend many cuts.

How much is actually in it

• Raw beef tenderloin carries about 2.5 mg iron per 3.5 oz (100 g), roughly 2.7 times pork tenderloin and 5.6 times boneless pork loin. — USDA Foundation Foods analytical samples, 8 per cut (n = 8 samples per cut) Evidence E source
  Beef tenderloin 2.53 mg (2.12-2.82), beef top sirloin 2.224 mg (1.89-2.68), pork tenderloin 0.9293 mg (0.775-1.08), pork loin boneless 0.4519 mg (0.335-0.655), pork ground 0.7876 mg (0.578-0.947)
• Raw beef cuts carry about 3.2 to 3.8 mg zinc per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 1.3 to 2.2 mg in pork cuts. — USDA Foundation Foods analytical samples, 7 to 8 per cut (n = 7-8 samples per cut) Evidence E source
  Beef tenderloin 3.225 mg (2.71-3.72), beef ground 80/20 3.848 mg (3.43-4.26), pork tenderloin 1.773 mg (1.59-1.95), pork chop center cut 1.325 mg (1.16-1.68), pork ground 2.226 mg (1.93-2.64)
• Pork tenderloin averages under 1 g saturated fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), while boneless pork loin samples ranged from 1.4 to 7 g and lean ground beef averaged about 5 g. — USDA Foundation Foods analytical samples, 6 to 8 per cut (n = 6-8 samples per cut) Evidence E source
  Pork tenderloin 0.8663 g (0.49-1.6), pork loin boneless 3.285 g (1.38-7.04), pork ground 6.283 g (2.74-8.9), beef ground 90/10 5.051 g (3.94-6.02), beef ground 80/20 6.845 g (5.91-7.56)
• According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, cereals and bread are the most common US sources of thiamin and pork is another major source. — US diet Evidence E source
  Pork named as a major thiamin source

What a real portion looks like

• In US survey data pork carries about 0.6 mg thiamin per 3.5 oz (100 g), nine times beef at 0.067 mg. — US household measures, FNDDS codes 22000100 and 21000100 (n = 2 food codes) Evidence E source
  Pork, NFS thiamin 0.605 mg/100 g, 1 slice 30 g 0.2 mg; Beef, NFS 0.067 mg/100 g, 1 slice 30 g 0.0 mg; 1 cup 135 g for both

What your body absorbs

• In 52 iron-deficient women, taking 32 mg iron daily with 113 g beef raised ferritin no more over 8 weeks than with a plant-based burger. — 52 nonpregnant women of reproductive age with serum ferritin under 25 ug/L, iron supplement with a lunch of beef or Beyond Meat for 8 weeks (n = 52) Evidence B source
  Ferritin +10.7 plus or minus 9.6 ug/L and hemoglobin +0.5 g/dL over time in both groups, treatment-by-time P > 0.05

What cooking and storage change

• Broiling keeps about 70% of thiamin in both beef and pork, with vitamin B6 retention at 60% for beef and 65% for pork. — USDA retention factors for broiled beef cuts (code 602) and broiled fresh pork (code 1251) (n = 2 methods) Evidence E source
  Thiamin 70% both; vitamin B6 60% beef, 65% pork; niacin 80% both; folate 85% both; riboflavin 90% beef, 100% pork
• Across 28 lab studies, cooked beef carried more PAH4 carcinogens than control beef, and smoking added more than grilling or barbecuing. — beef and beef products in 28 laboratory studies (n = 28 studies) Evidence D source
  Thermally processed vs control g = 1.64 (P < 0.001); smoking above grilling and barbecuing, g > 0.8

What it does to your health

• Across 36 RCTs, replacing red meat with plant protein lowered LDL cholesterol by 0.19 more than red meat diets. — 36 randomized trials comparing red meat diets with diets replacing it (n = 36 RCTs) Evidence A source
  LDL-C MD -0.19 (95% CrI -0.36 to -0.03), total cholesterol MD -0.14 with plant protein vs red meat
• Across 18 RCTs, more red meat raised C-reactive protein by 0.23, in people with but not without cardiometabolic disease, and not in the unprocessed red meat subgroup. — 1152 adults in 22 RCTs, 18 with CRP data (n = 1152) Evidence A source
  CRP weighted mean difference 0.23 (95% CI 0.08-0.39); seen with, not without, cardiometabolic disease; not in unprocessed red meat subgroup
• Across 31 cohorts with 1.97 million adults, each 100 g a day of unprocessed red meat was linked with 10% higher type 2 diabetes incidence. — 1,966,444 adults in 31 cohorts from 20 countries, median follow-up 10 years (n = 1966444) Evidence C source
  HR 1.10 (95% CI 1.06-1.15) per 100 g/day unprocessed red meat; processed meat HR 1.15 per 50 g/day
• In 23 cadets over 3 days after a fitness test, pork-based ration meals gave less muscle soreness and inflammation than matched plant-based meals. — 23 university cadets, pork-based vs plant-based meals ready-to-eat for 3 days of recovery, double-blind crossover (n = 23) Evidence B source
  Less soreness, urinary urea, cortisol, inflammation with pork; blood lipids better with plant diet; performance replicated on both

Safety, limits and interactions

• About 10.8% of bovine deep tissue lymph nodes carry Salmonella. — bovine deep tissue lymph nodes in 33 studies (n = 33 studies) Evidence C source
  Pooled prevalence 10.8% (95% CI 7.5-14.5); feedlot 13.5% vs cull 3.4%
• In 68 Vietnamese traditional markets, 64.4% of cut pork samples carried Salmonella. — 396 cut pork samples and board swabs from 68 markets in five provinces (n = 396) Evidence C source
  Salmonella 64.4% (255/396); 86.8% south vs 47.5% north
• USDA FSIS sets 145 °F (63 °C) plus a three-minute rest for raw beef and pork steaks, chops and roasts, and 160 °F (71 °C) for hamburger, measured with a food thermometer, since ground beef can brown before it is safe. — consumers cooking beef and pork, USA Evidence E source
  145 °F plus 3-minute rest for whole cuts; 160 °F for hamburger

What people believe that the data does not support

• The WHO counts pork as red meat alongside beef, veal, lamb, mutton, horse and goat. — WHO and IARC definition Evidence E source
  Pork classed as red meat

Who this works differently for

• In 23 people with past calcium stones, two daily servings of beef gave the same urine stone-risk index as the same protein from plants. — 23 normocalciuric calcium stone formers, 2 servings of beef daily (43 g protein women, 50 g men) vs plant protein, crossover with 2-day metabolic unit study (n = 23) Evidence B source
  Urinary calcium, oxalate, citrate and Tiselius risk index did not differ between diets
• In 17 breastfeeding women eating 12 oz (339 g) a day for 6 days, beef gave milk with less lauric acid and more arachidonic acid than a plant-based beef substitute. — 17 lactating women exclusively breastfeeding, 339 g (12 oz) daily of beef or plant-based substitute, 6-day phases, double-blind crossover (n = 17) Evidence B source
  Lauric acid 9.32 vs 4.47% (substitute vs beef, P < 0.001); arachidonic acid 0.35 vs 0.41% (P < 0.001)
• A man with alpha-gal syndrome showed severe sensitivity to beef but lower reactivity to pork products. — one 53-year-old man with alpha-gal syndrome before gastric bypass (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Severe sensitivity to beef, lower reactivity to pork
• For anyone serving beef and pork, CDC names people 65 and older, children under 5, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women as the groups at higher risk of food poisoning, and children under 5 are three times more likely to be hospitalized if they get a Salmonella infection. — people 65 and older, children under 5, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women Evidence E source
  Children under 5 three times more likely to be hospitalized with Salmonella infection

What is still unknown

• A 2023 scoping review found only 22 studies on beef or red meat and cognition, mostly at high risk of bias. — 22 intervention and observational studies up to March 2022 (n = 22 studies) Evidence C source
  9 RCTs mostly in children, 13 observational; most rated high or serious risk of bias

The bottom line

Cut matters as much as species for fat. Raw pork tenderloin averages 0.87 g saturated fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), boneless pork loin samples range from 1.4 to 7 g, and 90 percent lean ground beef averages about 5 g. Broiling keeps about 70 percent of thiamin in both meats, by USDA factors set in 1975 for whole groups. Across 28 lab studies, cooked beef carried more PAH4, a group of carcinogenic combustion compounds, than raw beef, and smoking added more than grilling or barbecuing. Those are concentrations in beef only, with no pork arm and no health outcome. Across 31 cohorts with 1.97 million adults, each 100 g a day of unprocessed red meat went with 10 percent higher type 2 diabetes incidence (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.15), an observational result that does not separate beef from pork. In 52 iron-deficient women taking a daily iron supplement with lunch for 8 weeks, ferritin rose by about 10.7 micrograms per liter, and eating beef with it did no better than a plant-based burger. That trial tested the supplement, not the iron in the beef. In 23 cadets recovering from a fitness test, 3 days of pork-based meals gave less muscle soreness and inflammation than plant-based meals. The abstract gives no sizes, and the authors may have an industry interest. In 23 people with past calcium stones, two servings of beef a day for 6 days left the urine stone-risk index the same as plant protein. In 17 breastfeeding women eating 12 oz (339 g) a day for 6 days, milk on beef had more arachidonic acid (0.41 against 0.35 percent) and less lauric acid than on a plant-based beef substitute, with no infant outcome measured. On cognition, a 2023 review found only 22 studies, most at high risk of bias. The safety findings are about raw meat. About 10.8 percent of deep lymph nodes in cattle carried Salmonella across 33 studies (95% CI 7.5 to 14.5), which concerns ground beef more than whole cuts. Thorough cooking kills Salmonella, but we have no card giving the internal temperature to reach, so this page cannot tell you when beef or pork is done. In 68 traditional markets in Vietnam, 64.4 percent of cut pork samples carried Salmonella, in unrefrigerated stalls unlike a supermarket supply chain. One case report describes a man with alpha-gal syndrome, the tick-linked red meat allergy, who reacted severely to beef and less to pork. A single case cannot tell you that pork is safe if you have this allergy. We found no card on beef or pork in pregnancy or for young children, and none on who is most at risk from Salmonella.

Sources

1. bfpk-r2-01 · reference dataset
   Foundation: Beef, tenderloin steak, raw Iron 2.53 mg/100 g (2.12-2.82, 8 samples) · Beef, top sirloin steak, raw 2.224 mg (1.89-2.68, 8) · Pork, loin, tenderloin, boneless, raw 0.9293 mg (0.775-1.08, 8) · Pork, loin, boneless, raw 0.4519 mg (0.335-0.655, 8) · Pork, ground, raw 0.7876 mg (0.578-0.947, 7)
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-10-02
2. bfpk-r2-02 · reference dataset
   Foundation: Beef, tenderloin steak, raw Zinc 3.225 mg/100 g (2.71-3.72, 8 samples) · Beef, ground, 80% lean meat / 20% fat, raw 3.848 mg (3.43-4.26, 8) · Pork, loin, tenderloin, boneless, raw 1.773 mg (1.59-1.95, 8) · Pork, chop, center cut, raw 1.325 mg (1.16-1.68, 8) · Pork, ground, raw 2.226 mg (1.93-2.64, 7)
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-10-02
3. bfpk-r2-03 · reference dataset
   Foundation: Pork, loin, tenderloin, boneless, raw Fatty acids, total saturated 0.8663 g/100 g (0.49-1.6, 8 samples) · Pork, loin, boneless, raw 3.285 g (1.38-7.04, 8) · Pork, ground, raw 6.283 g (2.74-8.9, 7) · Beef, ground, 90% lean meat / 10% fat, raw 5.051 g (3.94-6.02, 7) · Beef, ground, 80% lean meat / 20% fat, raw 6.845 g (5.91-7.56, 6)
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-10-02
4. bfpk-r2-05 · agency fact sheet
   The most common sources of thiamin in the U.S. diet are cereals and bread [8]. Pork is another major source of the vitamin.
   NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Thiamin Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · checked 2026-10-02
5. bfpk-r2-04 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2705862 Pork, NFS: Thiamin 0.605 mg/100 g, 1 slice, any size 30 g 0.2 mg · FNDDS 2705822 Beef, NFS: Thiamin 0.067 mg/100 g, 1 piece/slice, any size 30 g 0.0 mg · 1 cup 135 g, quantity not specified 60 g (both)
   USDA FNDDS, FoodData Central survey release 2024-10-31 · checked 2026-10-02
6. bfpk-r2-08 · randomized controlled trial
   Daily consumption of an iron supplement with a lunch meal for 8 wk improved serum ferritin concentrations (main time effect: +10.7 ± 9.6 μg/L, P < 0.0001)
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
7. bfpk-r2-06 · reference dataset
   R6 602 BEEF,BROILED CUT: vitamin_b6 60%, thiamin 70%, niacin 80%, folate 85%, riboflavin 90% · R6 1251 PORK,FRESH,BROILED: vitamin_b6 65%, thiamin 70%, niacin 80%, folate 85%, riboflavin 100%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, 2007 · checked 2026-10-02
8. bfpk-r2-07 · meta-analysis of laboratory studies
   A meta-analysis of 28 articles indicated that thermally processed beef had significantly higher PAH4 levels than did the control beef (g' = 1.64; P < 0.001). Smoking caused greater PAH4 buildup than did grilling and barbecuing (g' > 0.8; P < 0.001).
   Meat Sci, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
9. bfpk-r2-09 · network meta-analysis of RCTs
   Consuming plant proteins resulted in a greater reduction in total cholesterol (TC) levels (mean difference (MD) = -0.14; 95 % credible interval (CrI): -0.28 to -0.001, p < 0.05) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels (MD = -0.19; 95 % CrI: -0.36 to -0.03, p < 0.05) compared to red meat interventions.
   Clin Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
10. bfpk-r2-10 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    Overall, greater total RMI led to higher CRP across 18 RCTs (weighted mean difference 0.23, 95% CI 0.08-0.39). Subgroup analyses indicated similar findings for participants diagnosed with, but not without, cardiometabolic diseases; unspecified or mixed RMI, but not unprocessed RMI
    Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
11. bfpk-r2-11 · meta-analysis of cohort studies
    Greater consumption of each of the three types of meat was associated with increased incidence of type 2 diabetes, with HRs of 1·10 (95% CI 1·06-1·15) per 100 g/day of unprocessed red meat (I2=61%), 1·15 (1·11-1·20) per 50 g/day of processed meat (I2=59%), and 1·08 (1·02-1·14) per 100 g/day of poultry (I2=68%).
    Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol, 2024 · checked 2026-10-02
12. bfpk-r2-14 · randomized crossover trial
    However, those consuming the pork-based diet experienced less muscle soreness, urinary urea excretion, cortisol, inflammation, and depression scores while experiencing a higher testosterone/cortisol ratio and appetite satisfaction.
    Nutrients, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
13. bfpk-r2-15 · meta-analysis of prevalence studies
    The pooled Salmonella prevalence in DTLNs was 10.8% (95% CI [7.5, 14.5]), with significant heterogeneity between studies.
    Int J Food Microbiol, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
14. bfpk-r2-16 · cross-sectional study
    The overall Salmonella prevalence in cut pork was 64.4 % (255/396) and was significantly higher in southern provinces (86.8 %) compared to the north (47.5 %, p < 0.01).
    Prev Vet Med, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
15. sf-fsis-3 · agency advice
    Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb, and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F...For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. ...Ground beef may turn brown before it has reached a temperature at which bacteria are destroyed. ...A hamburger cooked to 160 °F (165 °F for ground poultry), measured with a food thermometer throughout the patty...is safe — regardless of color.
    USDA FSIS, Doneness Versus Safety · checked 2026-10-08
16. bfpk-r2-18 · agency question and answer page
    Red meat refers to all mammalian muscle meat, including beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, horse and goat.
    World Health Organization, Cancer: Carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat, Q&A · checked 2026-10-02
17. bfpk-r2-12 · randomized crossover trial
    Urinary calcium, oxalate, magnesium, citrate, phosphorus, volume, and TRI did not differ between diets.
    J Am Diet Assoc, 2001 · checked 2026-10-02
18. bfpk-r2-13 · randomized crossover trial
    Human milk collected during the substitute diet contained higher levels of tropical oil-derived medium-chain saturated fatty acids, such as lauric acid (12:0: 9.32 ± 1.8 compared with 4.47 ± 1.82, P < 0.001) and lower levels of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), including arachidonic acid (20:4n-6: 0.35 ± 0.06 compared with 0.41 ± 0.06, P < 0.001) compared with milk form the beef diet.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
19. bfpk-r2-17 · case report
    The patient exhibited severe sensitivity to beef but lower reactivity to pork products, complicating the use of porcine-derived heparin for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis.
    J Am Pharm Assoc (2003), 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
20. sf-hrg-1 · agency advice
    Higher risk groups include people who are 65 and older, children under 5, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women. ... Children younger than 5 are three times more likely to be hospitalized if they get a Salmonella infection.
    U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, People at Increased Risk for Food Poisoning (2025) · checked 2026-10-08
21. bfpk-r2-19 · scoping review
    Red meat and beef intake and cognition is largely understudied.
    Public Health Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-10-02