Meat: nutritional value, chemical composition, biological value, energy value, characteristic

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Humanity has been eating meat since antiquity. Anthropologists believe that meat, whose nutritional value is invaluable, played a huge role in the development of the human brain. Indeed, with the intake of meat food, nutrients such as aminocarboxylic acids are supplied to the body.

Many are interested in how he althy meat is, what types of it are considered the best? These and other similar questions can be answered by studying the information that presents the characteristics and nutritional value of meat.

Meat is a he althy product

For decades, there has been debate about whether meat is good for the human body and how much of it should be present in the daily diet. Many believe that the amino acid composition of the proteins of this product is very close to similar compounds found in the human body, so you need to eat more animal products. Some believe that meat is a toxic protein product that should be avoided altogether.

But most experts suggest sticking to the golden mean in this regard. So Academician N. M. Amosov -a world-famous doctor, a well-known promoter of a he althy lifestyle, assured that no more than 100 g of meat should be present in a person’s daily menu. However, the intake of such food depends on the individual characteristics of each individual organism. Some require meat every day, others prefer fish or vegetables.

Refusing meat products, you need to remember that the nutritional value of meat is high. It is the main supplier of essential aminocarboxylic acids. Other products do not contain these beneficial substances.

Meat and its structure

Those parts of the carcass of slaughtered cattle from which the skin has been removed are considered meat. The head must first be cut off, the insides taken out. The components of meat are muscle and connective tissue, fat layer, as well as blood vessels and tendons. The chemical composition and nutritional value of meat depend on the breed of the animal, its age, gender, conditions of detention, degree of fatness, correctness of slaughter.

Most of all valued in the composition of the product is muscle tissue. Its share is about 50-64 percent of the total weight of the slaughter carcass. It consists of muscle fibers (muscles, tendons). The softest tissue is located in those muscle groups on which there was minimal physical exertion (pelvis, spine, lower back).

Features softness and muscle tissue of young individuals. The old ones are a bit stiff. In cooking, it is best to use those parts of the carcass that consist of a large amount of muscle tissue, because they have few tendons,accordingly, the amount of waste is reduced.

Nutritional properties of meat products

The nutritional and biological value of meat is determined by its ingredients. They are amino acid proteins and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are contained in lipids - natural organic compounds. And meat is an invaluable source of phosphorus, B vitamins and useful biologically significant elements. There are also extractive substances in the meat, which give the product a taste, cause appetite and actively stimulate the secretion of gastric juice.

The energy value of meat is 100-500 kcal per 100 g of product. Many people wonder how much cholesterol is in meat. Those who care about their he alth can rest easy: this is a very small amount - about 0.06-0.12 percent.

The nutritional value of poultry meat lies in the presence of a large number of vitamins of different groups in it (most of all B1; B2; B12; B6; PP and C). Chicken liver contains vitamin A (300-500 mcg/g).

Objective indicators determine the nutritional value of meat (beef) - the ratio of edible parts of the carcass to unsuitable for food (bones, cartilage).

Types of meat

In fact, there are many varieties of the product. In fact, the muscle tissue of any living individual is meat. They eat mainly the meat of livestock, in particular pigs, cows, as well as sheep and horses. However, the list of raw materials of animal origin used in food is quite wide.

For example, the meat of mammals is suitable for food (beef, pork, lamb, horse meat, camel meat, dog meat, etc.); rodents (hare and rabbit meat); ungulates (elk, venison) and, of course, birds - from the usual chicken to exotic game.

In some countries, dishes made from amphibian meat (for example, frogs) are especially popular.

It is worth emphasizing that each nation prefers one or another type of product.

For example, in India they do not eat beef, and in Muslim countries they do not eat pork. Representatives of the Slavic people almost do not use horse meat and completely reject dog meat and frog meat. But in many European countries, horse meat is a favorite product. The Chinese and Koreans consider dog meat a delicacy, while the French and Americans love frog dishes.

Daily Value

Guideline for the menu - 150 g of meat per day. However, this does not mean that everyone should eat exactly this amount. Human nutrition simply has to be balanced and meet taste needs. In addition, the daily rate may vary due to certain diseases. So, those suffering from atherosclerosis are recommended to take 70-80 g of lean meat per day or 150 g three times a week. British doctors believe that the adult population must eat 90 grams of red meat without specifying the maximum norms for poultry in the daily diet.

Scientistsworld-class nutrition scientists do not put forward special requirements for the consumption of meat products. It all depends on the individual characteristics (nationality, religion, economic level of the country of residence) of a person.

However, studies show that eating large amounts of red meat overloads the body with organic matter (resulting in excess uric acid) and metabolic products. This has a bad effect on the functioning of the liver, kidneys, causes malfunctions in the cardiovascular system. So control over the consumption of meat is undoubtedly needed.

Compared to animal proteins, similar compounds found in fish are no less valuable. They are easily digestible, therefore recommended for daily consumption. And for people of mature age, 1-2 days a week, it is better to replace meat food with fish or dairy products.

Quality indicators

The nutritional and energy value of meat depends on the extent to which the product is conditioned. Therefore, it is relatively easy to determine its quality. Fresh meat of the highest grade (chilled) should be dry, pale red, slightly moist on the cut, but not sticky. The dimple, when pressed on benign meat, disappears with lightning speed, and the juice, when cut, comes out transparent. The color of fat depends on the type of meat: pork fat is whitish-pink, and beef fat is pale yellow.

The quality of a piece of meat is perfectly determined with a heated knife. When piercing a stale productthe knife then emits an unpleasant odor.

If the meat has lost its elastic consistency, it is sticky, slippery and darkened, then it is of poor quality. When incised, it is clear that substandard meat has a grayish-green tint, and the hole does not level out when pressed with a finger. The nutritional value of this type of meat is completely lost.

Nitrites and nitrates in meat products

Harmful "vitamins", being food preservatives, help preserve the pink tint of meat products. They are added to smoked products, sausages, many canned meat delicacies, and are also used for s alting meat products.

Nitrites are quite toxic: any overdose of them is dangerous for the body. When these substances enter the blood, hemoglobin is converted into methemoglobin, and then oxidized iron loses its ability to supply oxygen to tissues, as a result of which its acute deficiency may occur.

The biological effect of nitrates is slightly different. Once in the digestive tract, they are converted into nitrites, and then into carcinogens.

Plus, nitrates and nitrites are bad for the digestive system, disrupting the action of enzymes and preventing the absorption of proteins and fats.

Cooking

The chemical composition and nutritional value of meat make it possible to combine it with many products. That is why it is so widespread in cooking. During the cooking process, different types of heat treatment are used. Meat can be boiled, baked in the oven, stewed, stewed and fried.

Heat treatment fixes the structure of the meat product, brings it to readiness, and also destroys harmful microorganisms.

There is another way to prepare meat before heat treatment - sediment (holding minced meat in a suspended shell). It is used in the manufacture of sausages.

Proteins and fats

The saturation of meat with aminocarboxylic acids contributes to a high protein content (14-24%). The presence of a huge amount of fat in it (30-40%) affects the calorie content of the product.

Fatty meat takes longer to digest in the digestive tract. Its nutritional value is due not so much to the structure of proteins, but mainly to fat content, organic compounds and extractives.

Beef meat contains 2.9-16% fat and 14-21% protein; pork, depending on the degree of leanness - 28, 33-49% fat and 17, 14-12% protein; chicken - 8-18% fat and 18-21% protein. Turkey has a little more protein.

Rabbit meat contains 21% protein and 11% fat. It is recommended in the medical diet and in many diets.

Offal

Animals give us more than just meat. The nutritional value of many offal (tongue, kidneys, heart) is also high. The liver is most valued, as it is a real storehouse of vitamins of different groups, as well as hematopoietic substances. All trace elements are perfectly absorbed from thermally processed liver (boiled, stewed, fried) and pates, therefore, there is no need to use it half-baked (many recommend doing this with reduced hemoglobin). However, the liver contains purines,cholesterol, uric acid, so those with gout, kidney disease, atherosclerosis, and those who are overweight should limit their intake.

Thus, eliminating meat from your diet, the nutritional value of which is really high, is not recommended at all.

The opinion that meat is a harmful product has no basis. Undoubtedly, it will bring benefits only with rational consumption, while excess can harm the human body.