Emma Miller
The debate about whether our bodies need meat will never die down. Today, more and more people are switching to exclusively plant-based foods, but the meat itself has a number of beneficial properties.
Why do we need to eat meat?
The most important thing in any meat is a huge amount of animal protein. It consists of amino acids, some of which are essential for our body.
Depending on the type of meat, the way it is cooked, and even the age of the animal, its properties vary greatly. The main types of meat are red, white, and processed (smoked, dried, etc.).
Red meat contains a lot of iron, which is why it has this color. It includes beef, venison, pork, lamb, and horse meat. White meat is more dietary and perfectly digestible, but it also contains a little iron. It is mainly poultry meat – chicken, goose, and turkey.
In addition to valuable protein, any meat is rich in B vitamins, which are essential for the harmonious functioning of all body systems. They are involved in the formation of blood cells, metabolic processes, and brain function.
Meat also contains a lot of zinc and selenium. They support the immune system and have an antioxidant effect. Selenium is most abundant in poultry meat.
Myth: meat contributes to the development of cancer and heart problems
In a large-scale study published in 2010, the authors combined data from 20 scientific papers involving more than 1 million people. As a result, no link was found between the consumption of unprocessed meat and heart disease or diabetes.
Another large study conducted in Europe, involving 448,568 people, also found no link between unprocessed red meat and disease.
What is the healthiest meat?
The rating of meat healthiness is quite relative, but nutritionist Irina Rayetskaya put the rabbit in the first place. This meat has a record amount of protein, and, most importantly, rabbit meat is 90 percent digestible, unlike other types of meat. It is completely lean – only up to 9% fat. It is also important that this meat almost never causes allergies, so doctors always recommend it to allergy sufferers.
Poultry meat, in particular, chicken, ranks second. Chicken is easy to digest, so it is recommended for those with gastrointestinal problems. This meat is low in cholesterol and fat. The most dietary part is the chicken breast, and the chicken skin is the fattest part of the carcass, so many people simply remove it when cooking.
What is the danger of meat?
Meat and its products, such as sausages, sausages, and other delicacies, are very ambiguously processed. Such processing maximizes the flavor of meat, making it bright due to a large amount of salt, spices, and other additives.
In small quantities, such a product will not harm you, but you need to be as careful as possible when choosing processed meat. It is in the flavoring additives that a possible danger lies.
