When most people are making an effort to lose weight and improve their health, one of the first things to go from their diet is red meat. But, some red meats can provide several health benefits. Take pork for example. As you are about to see, there are many reasons to include pork in your weekly diet plan. You may not want to eat it daily, but having it every so often is permissible no matter what goals you happen to be working toward unless, of course, your goal is to be a vegetarian.
All it takes is choosing the right cut of pork. Pork tenderloin is what you are after here. It is the leanest cut of pork and will offer all the same benefits other fattier cuts would offer.
1. Vitamins and Minerals. First, let us consider the vitamin and mineral content found in pork. Pork proves to be an excellent source of…
- thiamine,
- selenium,
- zinc,
- vitamin B12,
- vitamin B6,
- niacin,
- phosphorus, as well as
- iron.
These are all vital nutrients to help keep your body feeling its best and stay energized. Many people, especially women, tend to fall low in iron, so having some lean red meat in their diet is essential. Likewise, men will want to ensure they keep their zinc intake up because low zinc levels are associated with suppressed testosterone.
2. Creatine Content. Another beautiful thing about pork is it is a source of naturally occurring creatine. You may have heard of creatine supplements before and while you may not go as far as to take some of those, including some creatine in your diet is a smart move. Creatine helps ensure you can maintain muscular contractions in the face of intense exercise, so if you plan on getting your workouts in, this compound will become very important.
3. Taurine. Another amino acid you will find in abundance in pork is taurine. Taurine is essential to keep your heart and muscle function where it should be, so another nutrient you do not want to miss out on.
While any complete source of protein will contain taurine, pork tends to be higher than some other meats.
4. High Protein Content. Finally, pork is a very high protein food, and it does not have all that much total fat content. Per 3 oz serving, you will take in…
- 139 calories,
- 4.1 grams of fat,
- 0 grams of carbs, and
- 23.9 grams of protein.
You can compare this with 3 oz of chicken, which contains 94 calories, 1.1 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbs, and 19.6 grams of protein. So you get a little more fat but also get more protein when choosing pork.
There you have some of the key benefits and reasons to include pork in your healthy diet plan. Are you missing out on this nutritious red meat source?