Swiss steak: braised beef that keeps its iron and loses some B vitamins

The firmest number here comes from red meat in general. A meta-analysis of 18 randomized trials found that eating more red meat raised C-reactive protein, a blood marker of inflammation, by a weighted mean difference of 0.23 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.39), and the abstract does not name the units. The rise showed up in people with cardiometabolic disease and with processed or mixed red meat. For unprocessed red meat, which is what Swiss steak is, the subgroup analysis did not find the rise. The dish itself is beef round braised in a tomato sauce. One averaged US recipe gives 15.5 g of protein, 1.8 mg of iron, 2.3 mg of zinc and 250 mg of sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g). A 249 g cup, recalculated from 100 g, comes to about 38 g of protein and 620 mg of sodium. Braising keeps all of the iron and zinc in the meat.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• The meatless Swiss steak with gravy in FNDDS carries 689 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), almost three times the 250 mg of the beef version. — US survey foods, FNDDS fdc_id 2707474 (meatless, with gravy) vs 2706732 (beef) Evidence E source
  689 vs 250 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g); 1 cup with gravy (216 g) 1488 mg

What a real portion looks like

• Swiss steak with sauce provides 15.5 g protein, 1.8 mg iron, 2.3 mg zinc and 250 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), so a 249 g cup gives about 38 g protein and 620 mg sodium. — US survey food, FNDDS food code 27411120 (fdc_id 2706732) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 115 calories, 15.48 g protein, 1.76 mg iron, 2.34 mg zinc, 0.96 ug B12, 1.124 g saturated fat, 250 mg sodium; per 249 g cup: 38.5 g protein, 4.4 mg iron, 5.8 mg zinc, 622.5 mg sodium

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover trial in 12 young men eating about 9.5 oz (270 g) of beef steak, plasma iron rose after both cooking methods, and sous-vide gave a slightly lower zinc response than pan-frying. — healthy males aged 18-25, single breakfast of beef steak (270 g) (n = 12) Evidence B source
  Plasma Fe increased (p < 0.001) with both; Zn postprandial AUC 2965 ± 357 (sous-vide) vs 3190 ± 310 (pan-fried), p < 0.05
• A scoping review of 77 studies found that adding meat muscle to a single plant-based meal consistently raised iron and zinc absorption, while the effect across a whole diet is less clear. — 52 human and 24 animal studies (plus 1 both) up to September 2021 (n = 77 studies) Evidence C source
  Direction consistent for single meals; no pooled size

What cooking and storage change

• By the USDA retention table for braised beef roast, the meat keeps all its iron and zinc but only 35% of vitamin B6, 45% of thiamin and 60% of vitamin B12 when the juices are not eaten. — USDA food group Beef Products, method BEEF,ROAST,BRAISED,WO/DRIPPINGS Evidence E source
  Retained: iron 100%, zinc 100%, B12 60%, niacin 55%, potassium 55%, thiamin 45%, B6 35%

What it does to your health

• Across 18 RCTs, eating more red meat raised C-reactive protein (weighted mean difference 0.23), mainly in people with cardiometabolic disease and with processed or mixed red meat. — adults with any health status in 22 RCTs (1152 adults), CRP pooled from 18 RCTs (n = 1152) Evidence A source
  CRP weighted mean difference 0.23 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.39); no effect on IL-6, TNF-alpha, leptin, adiponectin
• Observational data from 19 cohorts link the highest total red meat intake with a 12% higher pancreatic cancer risk, with no significant link for unprocessed red meat alone. — 19 prospective cohorts, 4,291,065 participants, 13,820 cases (n = 4291065) Evidence C source
  HR 1.12 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.24) total red meat; unprocessed HR 1.05 (0.88 to 1.24)
• Observational data from 27 studies link beef consumption with a 30% higher colorectal cancer risk. — 27 studies (1993-2024), over 1 million participants (n = 27 studies) Evidence C source
  Beef RR 1.30 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.54) for colorectal cancer

Safety, limits and interactions

• In 1162 patients with alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-bite-linked red meat allergy, 91.8% had symptoms starting 1 hour or more after eating red meat, and urticaria affected 63.8%. — 1162 alpha-gal syndrome patients from 15 studies, 57% female (n = 1162) Evidence C source
  Onset >=1 h in 91.8% (95% CI 84.6 to 96.8); urticaria 63.8% (34.5 to 88.3); any GI symptom 69.2%

Who this works differently for

• A meta-analysis of 10 intervention studies in 397 adults found eating more red meat raised hemoglobin by 2.4 g/L and did not significantly change serum ferritin. — adults 18-70 with normal or suboptimal iron status, 81% women, interventions of 8 to 52 weeks (n = 397) Evidence B source
  Hb +2.36 g/L (95% CI 0.71 to 4.02); ferritin +1.87 ug/L (95% CI -0.73 to 4.48, ns); at >=8 weeks ferritin +2.27 ug/L (0.87 to 3.67)

The bottom line

What braising costs is some of the B vitamins. By the USDA retention table for braised beef roast, the meat keeps 35 percent of its vitamin B6, 45 percent of its thiamin and 60 percent of its B12 when the juices are not eaten. Those factors are for the whole beef group and date from 1975. In Swiss steak you eat the sauce, so part of what leaves the meat comes back to the plate. The iron is the part your body takes up readily. In a crossover trial in 12 young men eating about 9.5 oz (270 g) of beef steak for breakfast, plasma iron rose after both pan-frying and sous-vide, and zinc response was slightly lower after sous-vide. Braising was not tested. A scoping review of 77 human and animal studies found that adding meat to a single plant-based meal consistently raised iron and zinc absorption, while the effect across a whole diet is less clear. A meta-analysis of 10 intervention studies in 397 adults, 81 percent women, found that eating more red meat raised hemoglobin by 2.36 g/L (95% CI 0.71 to 4.02). Ferritin, the iron store, did not change significantly. On cancer the evidence is observational, so it shows association and cannot show cause. Across 19 cohorts with over 4 million people, the highest total red meat intake went with a 12 percent higher pancreatic cancer risk (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.24), and unprocessed red meat alone showed no significant link. Across 27 studies, beef went with a 30 percent higher colorectal cancer risk (95% CI 1.10 to 1.54). Two thirds of those were case-control studies. Who should be careful: people with alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy linked to tick bites. In 1162 diagnosed patients across 15 studies, 91.8 percent had symptoms starting an hour or more after eating red meat, and hives affected 63.8 percent, with very uneven results between studies. The delay is why the meal often goes unsuspected. Meatless Swiss steak with gravy is no low salt option: it carries 689 mg of sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), almost three times the beef version, in one averaged recipe.

Sources

1. swst-daily-r5-02 · food composition dataset
   Sodium, Na per 100 g: Swiss steak, with gravy, meatless (fdc_id 2707474) 689 mg, 1 cup with gravy 216 g: 1488.2 mg; Swiss steak (fdc_id 2706732) 250 mg
   USDA FoodData Central survey foods (FNDDS) 2024-10-31, fdc_id 2707474 and 2706732 · checked 2026-09-29
2. swst-daily-r5-01 · food composition dataset
   Swiss steak, FNDDS code 27411120, fdc_id 2706732, per 100 g: Energy 115 kcal; Protein 15.48 g; Iron, Fe 1.76 mg; Zinc, Zn 2.34 mg; Vitamin B-12 0.96 ug; Fatty acids, total saturated 1.124 g; Sodium, Na 250 mg; 1 cup 249 g: Protein 38.5 g; Iron 4.4 mg; Zinc 5.8 mg; Sodium 622.5 mg
   USDA FoodData Central survey foods (FNDDS) 2024-10-31, code 27411120 · checked 2026-09-29
3. swst-daily-r5-04 · RCT (postprandial)
   Concentrations of Fe and Zn changed after meal ingestion, with plasma Fe increasing (p < 0.001) and plasma Zn decreasing (p < 0.05) in response to both cooking methods. The only potential treatment effect was seen for Zn, where the postprandial area under the curve was lower in response to the SV meal (2965 ± 357) compared to the PF meal (3190 ± 310; p < 0.05).
   Eur J Nutr, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
4. swst-daily-r5-05 · scoping review
   The addition of muscle tissue and muscle tissue fractions to single plant-based meals steadily increased absorption of iron and zinc across studies. The efficacy of the meat factor in increasing iron and zinc absorption in the overall diet is less clear.
   Adv Nutr, 2022 · checked 2026-09-29
5. swst-daily-r5-03 · retention factor table
   USDA-RETN-R6:651 BEEF,ROAST,BRAISED,WO/DRIPPINGS, group Beef Products: iron_mg 100% retained, zinc_mg 100%, vitamin_b12_ug 60%, niacin_mg 55%, potassium_mg 55%, thiamin_mg 45%, vitamin_b6_mg 35%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, 2007, code USDA-RETN-R6:651 · checked 2026-09-29
6. swst-daily-r5-07 · 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; studies without, but not with, energy restriction; and RMI ≥, but not <, 0.5 servings/day (3.5 servings/week).
   Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
7. swst-daily-r5-08 · meta-analysis of cohorts
   The highest intake of total red meat was positively related to risk of pancreatic cancer (Pooled HR: 1.12, 95%CIs: 1.01, 1.24; I2: 36.5 %, PQ-test: 0.10). Such association was not significant for unprocessed (Pooled HR: 1.05, 95%CIs: 0.88, 1.24; I2: 66.6 %, PQ-test: 0.002) and processed (Pooled HR: 1.02, 95%CIs: 0.86, 1.21; I2: 66.0 %, PQ-test: 0.001) red meat intake.
   Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
8. swst-daily-r5-09 · meta-analysis of observational studies
   Beef consumption was significantly associated with increased CRC risk, with a 30% overall risk increase (95% CI: 1.10-1.54).
   J Gastrointest Cancer, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
9. swst-daily-r5-10 · meta-analysis of prevalence
   Tick bite history was recalled by 78.7% (CI: 46.4-98.1; I2 = 99.1%), and 91.8% (CI: 84.6-96.8; I2 = 70.3%) had symptom onset ≥ 1 h post red meat intake.
   Neurogastroenterol Motil, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
10. swst-daily-r5-06 · meta-analysis of intervention studies
    Interventions involving increasing red meat intake had no significant effect on serum ferritin concentrations (raw mean change difference [RMCD] = 1.87 μg L-1; 95% CI, -0.73 to 4.48; t = 1.619; P = .139) but did have a positive effect on Hb concentrations (RMCD = 2.36 g L-1; 95% CI, 0.71 to 4.02; t = 3.297; P = .011).
    Nutr Rev, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29