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Should red meat be included in our diet? This question is asked by people whose goal is a healthy diet rich in all valuable nutrients. There have been many false claims around red meat that have caused some to exclude this ingredient from their diets. Is it right? Let’s find out!
Red meat is bad for your health
This, of course, is not true, preached primarily by people who are against eating meat in general. Red meat can harm your health, but only if eaten daily in large portions. As you know, excess always hurts. The allegations that a diet rich in red meat causes heart disease, diabetes, overweight and obesity have little to do with the actual situation. In fact, studies of red meat, which showed its harmfulness, concerned highly processed meats, which contained a lot of additional, not necessarily healthy ingredients. Red meat provides the body with wholesome protein and valuable minerals such as zinc and iron. To be sure that red meat in our diet is full of valuable nutrients, it is worth reaching for goose or venison.
Red meat is a source of unhealthy saturated fat
Indeed, red meat contains far more saturated fat than white meat. Therefore, in order to reduce the amount of saturated fat that is unhealthy for humans, red meat should be subjected to specific heat treatment. In addition, when choosing red meat, choose the pieces with the least fat, e.g. beef tenderloin. It’s worth noting that venison also contains less saturated fat than red meat obtained from livestock. To reduce the maximum amount of saturated fat consumed, it is a good idea to cut as much visible fat as possible before preparing meals.
Red meat is a panacea for mass
Unfortunately, this is a myth spread by popular bodybuilders. Red meat does not accelerate mass building or even have a positive effect on its structure. Red meat takes much longer to digest than other products that are a source of valuable protein. This, in turn, causes the amino acids to be absorbed more slowly and in much smaller amounts. This does not mean that you should give up red meat when building muscle mass. The best solution is to diversify your diet and compose it with red meat and proteins from eggs, fish or poultry.
Red meat the better the older it is
This is true known to the chefs of the most famous restaurants in the world. This is because both the taste and aroma of beef are released as the meat matures. Ripened red meat is soft, which is due to the loosening of the connective tissue. Of course, it is not recommended to eat spoiled meat. The maturation of this product is a process closely controlled by those skilled in the art.
Red meat increases the risk of cancer
This sentence is not entirely true. Well, red meat in itself does not show carcinogenic properties, so eating it is completely safe. On the other hand, carcinogenic properties appear when red meat is improperly prepared. Burning red meat as fat releases compounds that, if consumed in large amounts, can contribute to cancer. To make sure that eating red meat does not hurt you, it is worth avoiding cured, smoked or canned meat.