Meat: delicious AND nutritious!
In the days of our ancestors, meat was our primary source of fuel. The cavemen were hunter-gatherers, but hunting was often far less time-consuming and yielded more food than gathering. This means the human body has been consuming and processing meat for millions of years.
Despite the popularity of vegetarian and vegan diets, meat remains one of the most important food items in the human diet. It’s more than just a great source of protein—it’s also loaded with a wide range of minerals your body can’t live without. Here is a list of some of the minerals in meat that keep you healthy:
- B vitamins – B vitamins play a central role in your metabolic health, immune function, brain function, circulation, and the list goes on. Each of the B vitamins have a different role, but they’re all equally important. Some of the B vitamins can be found in plant-based foods, yet it’s MEAT that provides the best balance of B vitamins. Meat is actually the best source of Vitamin B12, the vitamin that keeps your metabolism firing on all cylinders and promotes weight loss. Eat more meat to provide your body with those important B vitamins.
- Iron – Do you have any idea how important iron is for the human body? Iron is required in order for your body to produce red blood cells. Those red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen and nutrients to every cell in your body. Without enough red blood cells, your body would essentially starve. So it makes sense that you need more iron to produce more red blood cells! Every 100 grams of red meat contains 1.66 grams of iron, but it’s a form of easily absorbable iron known as heme iron. This type of iron is easier for your body to break down and use. Meat is the best source of heme iron, thus an important way to increase red blood cell production.
READ MORE: Can Meat Cause Kidney Cancer?
- Magnesium – Magnesium is vital for healthy bones, but it’s good for so much more. For example, did you know that it helps your muscles to contract? It also regulates your blood sugar, keeps your nerves working properly, and regulates your blood pressure. A VERY important mineral, as you can see. Red meat contains 22 mg of magnesium per 100 grams of meat. Men need around 400 mg of magnesium per day, while women need around 320 mg. Eating meat is definitely a good way to increase magnesium intake!
- Zinc – Without zinc, your body would be unprotected against illness and disease. Zinc keeps your immune system humming along, but it also speeds up healing. If you are injured (wound, cut, internal injuries, etc.), zinc will help your body to heal faster. Zinc also plays a role in the absorption of protein, the primary nutrient in red meat. You get 4.67 mg of zinc per 100 grams of meat, which is roughly 1/3 of the zinc you need in your daily diet.
These minerals play a very important role in human health, but it’s the protein in red meat that really makes it a winner. Animal protein is very easy for your body to absorb, and it contains all the amino acids needed to build muscle tissue. If you’re trying to get fit or just stay healthy, you need a lot of protein. Red meat provides one of the best, most easily-digested forms of protein. Definitely a good idea to add more meat to your diet! It’s not just delicious, but it’s beautifully healthy as well.
