What are the Vitamins & Minerals Found in Meat? The Health Benefits of Eating Meat
If you do an internet search for “meat” you will probably find a lot of websites that tell you to avoid meats and especially red meat due to its high fat content. The truth is that meat is probably the best and most balanced source of proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that you can find today. Let’s examine what vitamins and minerals (nutrients) are found in meat.
What is Meat?
Meat, as a general term, is the animal flesh that is used as food. It can come from cows, pigs, goats, and poultry (chicken, turkey, etc.). It’s usually composed of the skeletal muscles of those animals but also certain organs (heart, liver, skin, brain, bone marrow and kidney) can be considered meat. A broad classification of meat would be that of red and white meats: the difference being the amount of myoglobin, a muscle protein, present the meat (myoglobin becomes reddish upon contact with oxygen). The meat from cows, sheep, goats and horses is considered red (high myoglobin concentration), while chicken and turkey meat is classified as white meat.
What Nutrients are Found in Meat?
As a general rule, meat is an excellent source of protein, amino acids (the protein’s building blocks), vitamins, and minerals. Meat is NOT a source of carbohydrates and fiber. According to beef.org, “a three-ounce serving of lean beef is an excellent source of protein, zinc, vitamin B12, selenium and phosphorus; and a good source of niacin, vitamin B6, iron and riboflavin.”
Protein in Meat
In Lawrie’s Meat Science book you can find that as a general rule, muscle flesh has about 75% water, 19-20% protein, 2-2.5% intramuscular fat, and 1.0-1.2% carbohydrates. There are also other soluble non-protein substances, such as amino acids and small peptides. Protein in beef has a good amino acid balance and is a high-quality protein because it supplies all of the essential amino acids needed by the body to build, maintain and repair tissues.
Vitamins in Meat
Meats, especially red meats, are great sources of folic acid. Folic acid is essential for growth and proper cell functioning. Red meat is also a great source of vitamins A, B, C, D, and E. Each of these vitamins are extremely necessary for good health. For example, vitamin A is good for eyes, bones and teeth health. Vitamin C is generally not associated with meat but with fruit and vegetables. However, Eskimos eat almost no fruit or vegetables; they get vitamin C from their meat and fish diet.
Iron and Zinc in Meat
Many children in the US have deficiency in these two important minerals. Iron deficiency in children may be associated with cognitive problems while a deficiency in zinc is associated with tissue repairs problems, poor skin health, and cognitive problems. Meat is a good source of iron and zinc.
Concerns with Eating Red Meat
Recently, concerns have been raised about consuming read meats. Many of the concerns relate to the meat’s high fat content. However, fats in meats (and especially in read meat) are of two types: visible and invisible. Visible meats are superficial to meat flesh and can be easily trimmed. Invisible fats can not be trimmed since they are intramuscular fats but red meat has only 2.5% of intramuscular meat, not a big percentage if you really consider it. Besides, you can always eat white meats that are very low in fat and get the benefits that meat has to offer.
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