Red Meat Myths

Red meat is often wrongfully portrayed as being unhealthy. Even chicken has been getting attacked by some in the media as being environmentally unhealthy. Vegan, fish and other non-meat diets have been proposed as healthier alternatives. The result of this onslaught of negative meat messages has influenced many persons including moms and dads to drastically cut back on their meat and poultry purchases. Though perceptions may be seen as reality, yet truth triumphs over fallacies. Parents and other consumers want what is best for their health and their families. They are also aware that a lot of false information is out there and as such are open to scientific facts that can correct their misconceptions. Below are the facts:

(a)    The Truth About Meat

1.    “You would need to eat a massive amount of spinach to equal the iron content in steak”, says Christopher Golden, an ecologist and epidemiologist at Harvard University in Cambridge Massachusetts (As quoted by nature.com in the article “Brain Food- clever eating”).

2.    To be precise, for a woman to get her recommended daily intake of 18mg of iron would need just 300grams of cooked bovine liver, 625grams of cooked beef or an astounding 2.4kg of spinach !

3.   In addition, the iron found in vegetables is harder to absorb tan the iron found in meat as it is attached to fiber which inhibits its absorption.

(b)      Meat For a Healthier Brain

(1)  “Being deficient in the micronutrients found in meat have been linked with low Intelligent Quotient (IQ), autism, depression and dementia”, says Dr. Charlotte Neumann, a pediatrician at the University of California.

(2)    Zinc found in meat is crucial for learning and memory.

(3)    Vitamin B12 found in meat preserves the sheaths that protect the nerves.

(c)  Meat- A  Big Boost For Your Immunity

Due to its antioxidant powers, zinc is involved in creating antibodies to fight free  radicals that increase the risk for chronic diseases.

(d)  Meat- Power Your Muscle Growth!

(1)  The protein in meat helps build and repair body tissues.

(2)   Muscles are made of protein. That is why athletes who are building muscle strength increase their meat protein consumption.

(3)  The protein and zinc found in meat are important for muscle growth and repair.

(e)  Meat- The Complete Protein!

Meta contains all of the nine essential amino acids that your body cannot make by itself. These are: histidine, leucine, isoleucine, lycine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, threonine and valine. Meat supplies all the nine in the right proportion needed for a healthy growth.

(f)  Meat- For a Healthy Heart!

Meat contains lots of the B vitamins needed for the production of hormones, red   blood cells and for proper functioning of the nervous system. These include: niacin, folic acid, thiamine, biotin, panthothenic acid, vitamin B12 and B6.

       So be friendly with meat and drop all the thrash about meat health myths!




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