Red Meat

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Red meat has been a huge factor in the human diet for a very long time. In recent years, there has been a decrease in red meat consumption because of some studies that claimed it increased the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as colorectal cancer. In a study done by the British Nutrition Foundation, they stated how essential meat is in providing protein in the diet, which comes from amino acid chains. There are 8 essential amino acids that humans need that must come from our food, and red meat is an essential component of these amino acids. Protein obtained by plants has these amino acids too, however, plants don’t provide all 8 essential amino acids. Plants usually have a ‘limiting amino acid.’ This causes humans that only consume plants to have a very large variety of plants in their diet with different limiting amino acids to obtain all essential amino acids.
Consuming red meat reduces the need of a wide variety in one’s diet. The average amount of protein in red meat is 20-24 grams per 100 grams, but after being cooked, it increases to 27-35 grams per 100 grams of meat. The reason for this is cooking the meat dehydrates it to an extent, causing an increase in the concentration of the protein. Excess protein in the body is turned into energy, and most developed countries intake a surplus of protein.
Fat is another important part of red meat and the diet. Fat contains energy and important nutrients for the diet, but it can cause some problems with cholesterol if it is over-consumed. Fat also provides palatability which plays a huge factor in the marketing aspect of meat. Fat is present as intramuscular fat, intermuscular fat, and subcutaneous fat. Intramuscular fat is the most relevant as it determines marbling and affec...

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