Meat helps to decrease oxidative stress

Meat and meat products is seen on the fourth level of a food pyramid.



The primary constituents of meat include proteins, water and fats, along with iron, phosphorous and certain vitamins.




Meat

Meat and nutrition 

•   Meat is a good source of iron, zinc, selenium and copper.
•  Zinc present in meat helps proper functioning of immune system and is essential for biochemical reactions.
•  Magnesium present in meat is used to release energy from the muscles and is helpful in building bones.
•  Selenium and vitamin E acts as antioxidants and helps to decrease oxidative stress in the body caused by free radicals.
•   ‘Meat factor’ present in meat helps absorption of iron, zinc and other nutrients from meat as well as from other foods eaten in the same meal.
•  20% of vitamin D in diet is contributed by meat.
•  All the lean parts contain the essential nutrients of meat.
  
  
  
  

Make meat healthier 

•  Discard all the visible fat before cooking meat.
•  Use minimum amount of fat while cooking and before serving discard all the excess fat.
•  Use healthier options for cooking like steaming, boiling, dry fry or grilling rather than frying the meat.
•  Use lean parts of meat and avoid organ meats like liver, kidneys and brain as they contain more fat.

Meat facts

•  Meat is considered a sign of wealth and prosperity, the expected global levels growth for meat consumption is 2% by 2015.
•  Uniform color, elastic texture, firmness, clean odor and moistness determine the quality of meat. 
•  It is essential to consume lots of fruits and vegetables with double the amount of water intake, if a person is consuming meat.
•  Excessive meat consumption is linked with the etiology of colorectal cancers. 
•  Lower consumption of meat and meat products is directly associated with higher longevity.
•  Meat takes four times more time than vegetables and grains to pass through the digestive system.
•  There is three times extra load on kidneys for metabolism, for meat eaters compared to vegetarians.  
•  The amount of grains which is fed to cattle’s in America alone, if stopped then that grain could feed 500 million people. 

Along with the proteins which they provide, meat should be consumed with a word of caution keeping in mind its fat and cholesterol content. Prefer consumption of lean meat, 1 to 2 serving a weak over meats with full fat content.