How do you describe Lean Beef?. Beef! Good for your Heart!. September 22, 2012 November 9, 2012. Although many people may think there’s little place in cholesterol-lowering diets for beef, surprising new research suggests just the opposite. According to a new clinical study, Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet (BOLD) , published in the January 2012 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , regularly including 4.0 to 5.4 oz of lean beef as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle in the gold s...