The benefits of red meat and its effect on health

You may have heard conflicting news about red meat. Some people consider it as a source of protein, an essential ingredient for health. While others consider red meat to be unhealthy for the heart and blood vessels and believe that it should be avoided. In this article, we will explain to you all the benefits of red meat as well as its disadvantages.

Types of red meat

Before discussing the health benefits of red meat, you should know that red meat is actually non-avian mammal meat that is red in color when raw. Beef, mutton and lamb are examples of red meat. Chicken, turkey and other birds are white meat because they turn white after cooking. In addition to these, the way meat is grown and processed also differentiates between meats. Here are some examples:

• Conventional meat: The animal is raised in factory farms and uses mostly grain-based feed. Meat that is not labeled organic is often conventional.
• Grass-fed meat: It is obtained from cows that use forage for their feed and are not raised in factory farms.
• Organic meat: To have an organic label, meat must be obtained from animals that are fed 100% organic feed and forage and do not receive antibiotics or hormones.
• Processed meats: Sausage and bacon belong to the group of processed meats. That is, special operations such as smoking or cooking in a special way are performed on ordinary meat.
• Unprocessed meats: When minimal processing steps have been done on the meat, it is called unprocessed meat. such as minced meat or fillet.

The benefits of red meat and its nutritional value

Did you know that red meats like beef contain significant amounts of L-carnitine? L-carnitine is one of the most popular sports supplements that helps improve sports performance and muscle building and also plays a role in increasing fat burning. 85 grams of beef contains about 80 milligrams of L-carnitine.

The benefits of red meat come from the nutrients in it. 113 grams of beef contains the following vitamins, minerals and nutritional value:

• Calories: 287
• Protein: 19 grams
• Fat: 23 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Vitamin B12: more than 100% of the daily requirement
• Zinc: 43% of the daily requirement
• Selenium: 31% of the daily requirement
• Niacin: 30% of the daily requirement
• Iron: 12% of daily requirement

Other nutritional information about red meat

One of the most important benefits of red meat is related to the protein in it. The protein in beef is considered a complete protein because it contains all the essential amino acids for the body. The human body needs protein to grow and maintain muscles.

Red meat, including beef, is also a rich source of vitamin B12, which is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system. Significant amounts of the mineral iron are also present in red meat, which helps prevent anemia. Of course, be careful that the nutritional value of beef largely depends on the way the animal is raised.

Red meat is a rich source of protein

Red meat is a rich source of high quality protein. One of the most important benefits of red meat is its high protein content. There are 32 grams of protein per 100 grams of cooked red meat. Protein consumption is necessary for both growth and maintenance of muscles. All athletes and all people who do not want to experience muscle wasting should use protein sources, of which red meat is one of the best.

Preventing anemia by consuming red meat

Another benefit of red meat is its effect in preventing anemia. In order to prevent and treat anemia, you should get help from sources rich in iron, one of the best of which is red meat. There are about 2.47 mg of iron in 100 grams of beef. Red meat also contains iron, which is absorbed very quickly in the body. Of course, it is better to use iron tablets to treat anemia.

Babies, teenagers, women who have heavy periods and pregnant women are more susceptible to anemia.

The effect of red meat on heart health

We explained the most important benefits of red meat and now we come to its disadvantages. In many studies, it has been stated that the continuous consumption of red meat can increase the risk of heart diseases. The link between red meat consumption and heart disease appears to be due to the saturated fat found in red meat. Compared to chicken, fish and legumes, red meat has more saturated fat.

Consuming high amounts of saturated fat increases cholesterol and increases the risk of heart diseases. Therefore, especially the elderly should limit the consumption of red meat and use more lean meat. Unfortunately, red meat contains a lot of trans fat. The best alternative to red meat in plant sources are legumes.

Also, some studies have shown that red meat has other potential risks for the heart. People who regularly eat red meat have higher levels of a metabolite called oxide Trimethylamine (TMAO) are Gut bacteria produce TMAO during digestion. This toxic substance increases the risk of death from heart diseases.

Red meat and cancer

Some recent research shows that regular consumption of red meat can increase the risk of cancer. There is no doubt that processed meat is carcinogenic to humans, but more research should be done on red meat itself. Meat processing methods can create carcinogenic substances and increase the possibility of dying from cancer.

Should we eat red meat or not?

You can use red meat in moderation in your diet. Due to the health hazards of red meat, you should not completely remove it from your diet. The benefits of red meat are many because of the protein and micronutrients in it, but there are other foods that have these properties. The use of red meat is not prohibited for health, but the consumption of processed meat is never recommended.

Nutrition experts recommend that no more than 3 servings of red meat be used per week. Instead of red meat, you can use other protein sources such as beans, milk and other dairy products. Also, white meat like chicken can be a good option.

final word

We have explained the benefits of red meat for you in this article. Red meat is an ideal source of protein and helps to have strong and bulky muscles. You can find high amounts of vitamins and minerals in red meat. Excessive consumption of red meat can endanger people’s health. So use this protein source in minimal moderation.