The benefits and harms of lamb for the human body
Most often you can find pork, beef and poultry meat on the shelves of shops among meat products. Lamb is a less popular product. What is the reason for this?
Is lamb good for you
People can often hear statements that lamb has an unpleasant smell and a specific taste. But professional chefs from different countries, especially eastern ones, do not agree with this. The main thing is to know which part of the lamb should be used for a particular dish. The age of the animal also makes sense.
Worth buying or not
The benefits and harms to the body of mutton meat always causes controversy among lovers and opponents of this product. The fact is that the fats it contains are several times superior in quantity to beef and even pork, but they belong to the saturated group and therefore, in certain quantities, are completely safe and even useful for the body.
Numerous studies have shown that buying beef is still worth it. This meat product is very beneficial for humans and can sometimes even help in the fight against excess weight. The use of lamb for these purposes is characterized not by a small amount of calories, but by the CLA contained in the trans fat. Not all trans fats are harmful and CLA is a good example.
Adherents of the fact that lamb is harmful to the body should correct their opinion. Fats and fatty acids contained in meat are harmful only in large quantities. Scientists are confident that when this product is consumed up to 350 g per day for men and up to 270 g for women, there is no harmful effect and will not be. The usefulness of lamb meat is many times greater than the harm that is characteristic of all varieties of red meat from pork to beef.
The composition of the product
The benefits of lamb are characterized by its composition and nutritional value. The fact is that it is she who is an irreplaceable source of vitamin B12. This vitamin provides 108% of the daily value when consuming 100 g of meat. Only beef liver and seafood are more useful for the body in terms of its quantity, therefore lamb is often included in the diet of expectant mothers, as well as patients with pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
Also, the beneficial properties of lamb are determined by other useful substances contained in it:
- selenium;
- neacin (vitamin B);
- iron;
- magnesium;
- zinc;
- calcium.
Lamb should also be consumed because it is a source of vitamin K. Among meat products, only veal is healthier in terms of the content of these elements. Its beneficial properties are characterized by the normalization of blood pressure, digestive tract, and mental activity. Studies show that there are benefits for men, as it is this enzyme that affects the reproductive system.
The benefits of lamb also come for muscles when you include this product in your diet. Lamb together with veal is the best food for athletes.The fact is that lamb meat is rich in creatine (a substance responsible for the human energy potential), glutathione and taurine. The latter are among the best antioxidants.
Tips for choosing lamb
Do not take the first mutton that comes along from the counter. You should know which part is used for certain culinary purposes:
- If you plan to cook broth, the shoulder and neck parts are better than the rest. Some chefs advise preparing broth from brisket.
- For fried lamb, the hind leg will be the most delicious and tender.
- For cooking boiled meat - neck, kidney and front leg.
- Lamb cutlet - neck and shoulder blades.
- For baking - hind leg and kidney.
The most useful products are those purchased from trusted suppliers. It is also important when choosing the right meat products. The fact is that the taste of dishes depends on what and how the lamb ate during its lifetime. On large farms, the basic rules of animal husbandry are often neglected, so it is better to work hard and find one, but a conscientious seller.
You can only get the most out of a product by making the right choice. This is the reason why you should take the advice of culinary experts.
The person's sense of smell will help with the choice. If a piece of pulp does not have an unpleasant odor, this is what you need.
Choosing mutton should be based on its smell
According to culinary experts, the most useful type of lamb is lamb. If a young lamb ate only mother's milk, its pulp will be soft, tender and very tasty. The age of the animal can also be determined. The meat of the young lamb has a pink tint, and the old one is bright red.
Help with diseases
Whether lamb is good for the body, you can ask the doctors. According to them, meat dishes from this product are included in the daily and weekly diets of patients with diabetes mellitus. This disease is characterized by impaired insulin production, and the enzymes contained in meat normalize this process.
For diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, many gastroenterologists advise against including mutton in the menu. With gastritis, as well as low acidity, only broths are allowed. They should also be eaten carefully, having previously asked the doctor the permissible amount.
Lamb is also used in the preparation of diets for patients with diseases of the cardiovascular system. But the properties of this product have both beneficial and negative effects. With such a pathology as anemia, lamb is an irreplaceable product, since it contains a large amount of iron. Due to the lipids it contains, the consumption of lamb should be limited.
Fighting excess weight
What else is lamb useful, besides helping in the fight against various pathologies? It turns out that lamb meat is used as an anti-obesity food. CLA (scientific name for linoleic acid) helps to speed up fat burning. No less favorable properties for losing weight are provided by:
- low calorie content;
- high content of vitamins;
- lecithin (normalizes metabolism).
The beneficial properties of this product are also characterized by a low fat content compared to other types of red meat. The most significant component is cholesterol. It is contained in lamb in 3 times less than in pork, so everyone who wants to say goodbye to extra pounds should include meat dishes in their daily diet.
Sheep meat is suitable for weight watchers
To make the benefits of using the product even greater, you need to pay attention to its preparation. Most of it is related to preparing the marinade. The concentration of harmful carcinogenic substances depends on its quality.
Contraindications
The state of health of the person himself depends on whether lamb is good for the human body.Despite the large amount of useful vitamins and minerals contained in lamb meat, it is contraindicated for some people. It is forbidden for patients to eat lamb meat dishes:
- pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract;
- renal and hepatic impairment;
- arthritis and gout.
In exceptional cases, lamb is prescribed for people with gastritis or ulcers. At the same time, its portion should be minimal. In addition, its daily use is unsafe even for a healthy person. This is the reason why lamb meat dishes should be included on the menu no more than once a week.
The preparation method also matters. For inclusion in therapeutic diets, boiled and baked dishes, as well as broths, are most often chosen. Fried foods are less healthy due to the concentration of carcinogens.
Lamb is also contraindicated in children under 3 years of age. The digestive tract of babies cannot cope with heavy food. Only by the age of 3 years, the child's body begins to fully function, so it should be introduced gradually and carefully.
There are no restrictions for pregnant women. Only in case of deterioration of health or the appearance of some unfavorable signs should meat be abandoned.