Almost 70 years ago, a Swiss accordion player created the “Duck Dance.” A few decades later, a German band performed the song at an Oktoberfest celebration but couldn't find a duck costume.

Instead, they dressed the dancer as a chicken, and the world-famous “Chicken Dance” was born. It soon became a favorite activity at sporting events and birthday parties worldwide.

Chicken dancing is great for your health. But when it comes to keeping your bad LDL cholesterol in check, chicken may not be a risk-free choice.

Recent research has found that you should be mindful of the amounts and types of both red and white meat you consume.

A study of 113 people revealed that those who ate meat — even skinless, lean poultry — had a higher level of LDL cholesterol than people who didn’t eat any meat.

Red meat is worse, containing much higher levels of inflammation-causing proteins, mainly carnitine, than chicken. For example, while 4 ounces of beefsteak has up to 162 mg of carnitine, 4 ounces of chicken breast only has 5 mg.

When your gut bacteria, and subsequently your body, process these proteins, they create trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), which is linked to kidney dysfunction, increased risk of stroke and heart attack, impotence, cancer, and memory dysfunction.

So skip red and processed meats. And if you eat animal proteins, stick with skinless, lean poultry as a side dish only. Enjoy sea trout and salmon instead.

Focus on vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains. That's a meal worth dancing for.