The benefits and harms of pork fat
Pork fat is used by humans for cooking and as the basis for many medicinal preparations. Lard is a high calorie source and is used in its pure form to quickly replenish energy. In addition, the greasy layer from a thoroughbred pig has a high taste.
Pork fat
Lard is often used to grease molds before baking, so pastries do not burn. Many housewives are wondering how to melt pork fat at home. To do this, you need to purchase a good greasy layer and follow the rules for melting the product.
Useful properties of fat for the body
Many people wonder if pork fat is useful, what are its special properties. It all depends on the correct dosage.
Large quantities of rendered internal pork fat are dangerous to humans. It is a heavy food that is difficult to digest and is not suitable for people with weak stomachs.
However, as a food additive, it is often used for first and second courses. The lard contains a large number of nutrients. Among them are vitamin A and linoleic acids. It also has a low cholesterol content compared to other animal fats. Internal intake of lard helps to speed up metabolism and improve the functioning of all body systems.
The presence of arachidonic acid also explains the benefits of fat, since this component is part of the cells of the human heart. Thus, lard supports the work of the heart muscle and improves the production of hormones.
The biological activity of pork fat is 5 times higher than that of fats of other origin. Thanks to this, the product is quickly broken down and accelerates metabolism. One of the important positive qualities of lard is that when melted, the product does not lose its beneficial properties, unlike the fat of cows or sheep.
Useful properties of lard
Lard benefits the body due to its medicinal properties. Internal use of this product helps to get rid of diseases such as:
- bronchitis;
- pneumonia;
- pneumonia;
- dystrophy.
External use of lard is suitable for the treatment of a cold cough. For this, compresses should be applied to the throat and chest. The internal application of pork fat to the sore throat also helps with coughing. Before that, it is recommended to mix the lard with honey.
Lard has established itself as the most common base for various ointments. Due to its consistency, this product is well absorbed into human skin.
Benefits of interior pork fat
Pork fat is used to treat joints. In folk medicine, it is recommended to lubricate diseased parts of the body with them at night.Above, the limb is wrapped in a dense damp cloth at room temperature.
In case of malfunction of the musculoskeletal system, lard is mixed with salt and applied externally to the injured area. A warm bandage should be applied on top.
A mixture of pork fat and toasted onion is used in folk medicine to treat burns. Crushed tablets of acetylsalicylic acid are also added to the ointment. The damaged area of the skin is lubricated for several days without applying a bandage. Acetylsalicylic acid prevents infection, onions are powerful antibacterial agents, and lard protects the skin from scars.
Pork fat in folk medicine
In folk medicine, there is also a recipe for an ointment to treat eczema. For the medicine, the following ingredients are used:
- 2 tbsp. l. lard;
- 2 egg whites;
- 100 g nightshade;
- 1 liter of celandine juice.
All components must be mixed and left for three days. The affected skin should be lubricated within a week.
Special mention should be made of the use of pork fat in the cosmetic industry. Natural soap is made on the basis of lard and oxidants of various types. It can be cooked at home using copper, zinc and heavy metal salts as oxidants.
Regular use of small amounts of pork fat during cooking will improve immunity and help flush many harmful toxins from the body.
Contraindications to the use of pork fat
First of all, the wrong dosage of the product, and not the rendered pork fat itself, can cause great harm. Despite the low percentage of cholesterol, it is not recommended to use lard for daily cooking. This can hinder the digestive process and disrupt the functioning of the body. Contraindications also apply to the constant daily use of the product.
A poor-quality greasy layer can also harm a person. When keeping pigs, not all livestock breeders comply with sanitary standards, so the meat can be infected with various parasites. The greatest danger to the human body is posed by the meat of artiodactyls, which contains mycotoxins, so heat treatment must be applied before eating.
However, in many countries it is not customary to melt lard before consuming it. Most often, the fat layer is only salted, after which it is kept in places with low temperatures, so many harmful bacteria remain inside the adipose tissue. To protect yourself, you should smoke the product before salting: this will help get rid of most microorganisms.
Scientists have shown through scientific research that rendered pork fat can cause poor brain cells to function. Since lard is not broken down by normal gastric juices, the body uses glucose to process the product. The consequences are constant hunger and decreased brain activity.
Diseases for which pork fat is contraindicated
Excessive consumption of pork fat can cause serious damage to the cardiovascular system. Severely digested foods put stress on all internal organs.
There are a number of contraindications for use by people suffering from chronic diseases, such as:
- Hepatitis;
- Cholecystitis;
- Pancreatitis;
- Atherosclerosis.
Also, the use of lard is not recommended for people with allergic reactions. Active acids can cause throat swelling and asphyxiation.
Pork fat melting
Before drowning the interior pork fat, you should choose the right greasy layer. When heated, low-quality or old fat has an unpleasant aroma and yellow color. The use of such lard in cooking can lead to poisoning. A good greasy layer has the following external characteristics:
- the skin should be soft, without unpleasant odors;
- white color of the pulp;
- lard should not have a sour smell;
- the fat should be checked for density with a toothpick: it will enter a good greasy layer like butter;
- the thickness of the product should not be more than 15 cm;
- the presence of a layer of gray-red meat.
It is not recommended to taste raw bacon during the purchase: this can cause poisoning or serious infections. You should also ask the seller about the breed of pig. From meat species of artiodactyls, the sebaceous layer is of low quality.
How to choose lard for melting
Lard from wild boar is a good option for melting. It is better to take such lard from hunters. This product must not be eaten raw. The medicinal value of fat from wild boar is much higher than from farm pig. Such lard is used for medicinal purposes, not for cooking.
To melt fat at home, you should choose a metal container of the appropriate volume. Before melting the fat, you need to ignite the dishes on both sides. The melting procedure looks like this:
- Lard is washed in boiled water and dried with paper.
- The fat is cut into pieces and placed in a container.
- The lard is melted until greaves appear, which must be removed.
- The resulting mass is cooled and placed in the refrigerator.
In order not to melt pork fat excessively, it is necessary to monitor the color of the greaves: they should have a yellowish or poorly expressed flesh color. Lard can be stored for 18 months at low temperatures.
Conclusion
Processed pork fat is used for cooking and medicinal purposes. Depending on the dosage, lard can cause both benefits and harm to the human body. To properly melt lard, you should carefully choose the source product.
It is not recommended to eat pork fat without heat treatment, as this can cause poisoning.