Humanity has been eating meat since antiquity. Anthropologists believe that meat, whose nutritional value is invaluable, has played a huge role in the development of the human brain. After all, with the intake of meat food, such nutrients as aminocarboxylic acids are delivered to the body.
Many are interested in how healthy the meat is, what types of meat are considered the best? You can find answers to these and other similar questions by examining the information that presents the characteristics and nutritional value of meat.
Meat is a healthy product
For decades, there has been debate about whether meat is good for the human body and how much should be present in the daily diet. Many people believe that the amino acid composition of the proteins of this product is very close to similar compounds contained in the human body, so animal products should be eaten more. Some are sure that meat is a toxic protein product that should be discarded altogether.
But most experts suggest sticking to the golden mean in this regard. So academician N.M. Amosov - a world-famous doctor, a well-known promoter of a healthy lifestyle, assured that no more than 100 g of meat should be present in a person’s daily menu. However, the intake of such food depends on the individual characteristics of each individual organism. Some require meat every day, while others prefer fish or vegetables.
Refusing meat products, you need to remember that the nutritional value of meat is high. It is a major supplier of essential aminocarboxylic acids. Other foods do not have these beneficial substances.
Meat and its structure
Those parts of the carcass of slaughtered cattle, from which the skin is eliminated, are considered meat. First, the head should be cut off, the insides taken out. The components of meat are muscle and connective tissue, the fat layer, as well as blood vessels and tendons. The chemical composition and nutritional value of meat depend on the breed of the animal, its age, gender, living conditions, the degree of fatness, the correctness of the slaughter.
Muscle tissue is most valued in the composition of the product . Its share is about 50-64 percent of the total weight of the slaughter carcass. Its composition includes muscle fibers (muscles, tendons). The softest tissue is located in those muscle groups for which there was minimal physical activity (pelvic, spinal, lower back).
Muscle tissue of young individuals is also soft. The old ones are a little harsh. In cooking, it is best to use those parts of the carcass that consist of a large amount of muscle tissue, because they have few tendons, and accordingly, the amount of waste is reduced.
Nutrient properties of meat products
The nutritional and biological value of meat is due to its components. They are amino acid proteins and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are contained in lipids - natural organic compounds. And meat is an invaluable source of phosphorus, B vitamins and useful biologically significant elements. Extractive substances are also present in the meat, which give the product a taste, cause appetite and actively stimulate the secretion of gastric juice.
The energy value of meat is 100-500 kcal per 100 g of product. Many people wonder how much meat contains cholesterol. Those who care about their health can be calm: this is a very small amount - about 0.06-0.12 percent.
The nutritional value of poultry meat is to find in it a large number of vitamins of different groups (most of all B1; B2; B12; B6; PP and C). Chicken liver contains vitamin A (300-500 mcg / g).
Objective indicators determine the nutritional value of meat (beef) - the ratio of edible parts of the carcass to unfit for food (bones, cartilage).
Types of meat
In fact, there are many varieties of the product. In fact, the muscle tissue of every living individual is meat. They mainly eat meat from livestock, in particular pigs, cows, as well as sheep and horses. However, the list of raw materials of animal origin used in food is quite wide.
For example, mammalian meat is suitable for food (beef, pork, lamb, horse meat, camel, dog and other); rodents (hare and rabbit); ungulates (elk, venison) and, undoubtedly, avian - from the usual chicken to exotic game.
In some countries, dishes from amphibian meat (for example, frogs) are especially popular.
It is worth emphasizing that each nation prefers one or another type of product.
For example, in India they don’t eat beef, and in Muslim countries they don’t eat pork. Representatives of the Slavic nationality almost do not use horsemeat and completely reject the dog and frog. But in many European countries horse meat is a favorite product. The Chinese and Koreans consider dog food to be a delicacy, while the French and Americans love frog dishes.
Daily intake
The approximate norm for the menu is 150 g of meat per day. However, this does not mean that everyone should eat just such an amount. Human nutrition simply needs to be balanced and satisfy taste needs. In addition, the daily norm may vary due to certain diseases. So, suffering from atherosclerosis, it is recommended to take 70-80 g of nonfat meat per day or three times a week, 150 g each. British doctors believe that adults should definitely eat 90 grams of red meat, without specifying the maximum standards for poultry in the daily diet. .
World-class scientists involved in nutrition science do not put forward special requirements for the consumption of meat products. It all depends on the individual characteristics (nationality, religion, level of economy of the country of residence) of a person.
However, studies show that the consumption of red meat in large quantities overloads the body with organic substances (resulting in an excess of uric acid) and metabolic products. This has a bad effect on the functioning of the liver, kidneys, and causes malfunctions in the cardiovascular system. So control over the consumption of meat is indisputably necessary.
Compared to animal proteins, similar compounds found in fish are no less valuable. They are easily digested, therefore recommended for daily consumption. And it is better for people of mature age 1-2 days a week to replace meat foods with fish or dairy products.
Qualitative indicators
The nutritional and energy value of meat depends on the extent to which the product is conditional. Therefore, determining its quality is relatively simple. Fresh premium meat (chilled) should be dry, pale red, slightly moistened at the cut, but not sticky. A dimple when pressed on a benign meat instantly disappears, and the juice leaves a clear when cut. The color of fat depends on the type of meat: pork fat is whitish pink, and beef fat is pale yellow.
The quality of a piece of meat with a heated knife is perfectly determined. When a stale product is pierced, an unpleasant odor then emanates from the knife.
If the meat has lost its elastic consistency, it is sticky, slippery and darkened, so it is of poor quality. When an incision is made, it can be seen that the substandard meat has a grayish-green hue, and the hole does not align when pressed with a finger. The nutritional value of meat of this kind is completely lost.
Nitrites and nitrates in meat products
Harmful “vitamins”, being food preservatives, help maintain a pink shade of meat products. They are added to smoked products, sausages, many canned meat delicacies, and also used for salting meat products.
Nitrites are quite toxic: any overdose of them is dangerous for the body. Hemoglobin, when these substances enter the blood, is converted to methemoglobin, and then oxidized iron loses its ability to supply oxygen to tissues, resulting in acute deficiency.
The biological effect of nitrates is slightly different. Once in the digestive tract, they are converted to nitrites, and then to carcinogens.
In addition, nitrates and nitrites have a bad effect on the digestive system, disrupting the action of enzymes and inhibiting the absorption of proteins and fats.
Cooking
The chemical composition and nutritional value of meat allows you to combine it with many products. That is why it is so widespread in cooking. In the cooking process, different types of heat treatment are used. The meat can be cooked, baked in the oven, stewed, cooked and cooked.
Heat treatment fixes the structure of the meat product, brings it to readiness, and also destroys harmful microorganisms.
There is another way to prepare meat before heat treatment - sludge (exposure of minced meat in a suspended shell). It is used in the manufacture of sausages.
Proteins and Fats
Saturation of meat with aminocarboxylic acids contributes to a high protein content (14-24%). The caloric content of the product is affected by the presence of a huge amount of fat in it (30-40%).
Fatty meat is digested longer in the digestive tract. Its nutritional value is due not so much to the structure of proteins, but mainly to the fat content, organic compounds and extractive substances.
Beef meat contains 2.9-16% fat and 14-21% protein; pork depending on the degree of leanness - 28, 33-49% fat and 17, 14-12% protein; chicken - 8-18% fat and 18-21% protein. There is a bit more protein in turkey.
Rabbit contains 21% protein and 11% fat. It is recommended in a healthy diet and with many diets.
Offal
Animals give us not only meat. The nutritional value of many offal (tongue, kidney, heart) is also high. The liver is most valued, as it is a real storehouse of vitamins of different groups, as well as blood-forming substances. All microelements are perfectly absorbed from heat-treated liver (boiled, stewed, fried) and pastes, therefore, there is no need to use it half-baked (many recommend doing so with reduced hemoglobin). However, the liver contains purines, cholesterol, uric acid, so that those suffering from gout, kidney disease, atherosclerosis, and those who are overweight, need to limit its intake.
Thus, it is completely not recommended to exclude meat whose nutritional value is really high from your diet.
The opinion that meat is a harmful product has no basis. Undoubtedly, it will bring benefits only with rational consumption, while excessiveness can harm the human body.