Setting The Record Straight on Meat Health.

Red meat is often misrepresented as unhealthy. Even chicken has been attacked by some in the media as unhealthy or not respectful of the environment. It has been suggested that vegan, fish and other non-meat diets are healthier alternatives. The result of this avalanche of negative messages about meat has led many people, including mothers and fathers, to drastically reduce their purchases of meat and poultry. Perceptions can be seen as reality, but truth trumps non-truths. Parents and other consumers want the best for their health and that of their families. They are also aware that there is a lot of false information and, as such, they are open to scientific facts that can correct their misunderstandings. Here are the facts:

A) LEAVE THE TRUTH ABOUT THE IRON OF MEAT!
1) "I would have to eat a lot of spinach to get the same level (iron content) in a steak," says Christopher Golden, an ecologist and epidemiologist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (As cited by Nature.com in the article "Brain Food - Clever Eating").
2) Let's be precise. For a woman who would receive her recommended daily dose of 18 mg of iron, only 300 grams of boiled cow liver, 625 grams of cooked meat or an astonishing 2.4 kg of spinach would be needed!
3) In addition, the iron found in vegetables is harder to absorb than iron in the meat because it is attached to fibers that inhibit its absorption.

B) Meat for a healthy brain!
1) Micronutrients deficient in meat have been associated with a low IQ, autism, depression and dementia, Dr. Charlotte Neumann, pediatrician at the University of California, as cited in the previous article.
2) Zinc in meat is crucial for learning and memory.
3) Vitamin B12 in the flesh preserves the vagina, protecting the nerves.

C) STAIN YOUR IMMUNITY!
Due to its antioxidant properties, zinc is involved in the production of antibodies against free radicals that increase our risk of chronic diseases.

D) MEAT - MAKE YOUR MUSCLE GROW!
1) The protein in the meat helps to build and repair the tissues of the body.
2) The muscles are made of protein. Therefore, athletes who develop muscle power increase their meat protein intake.
3) Protein and zinc in meat are important for muscle growth and repair.

E) MEAT - THE COMPLETE PROTEIN!
Meat contains the nine essential amino acids that your body can not produce on its own. Say hello to histidine, leucine, isoleucine, lincine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, threonine and valine. The meat delivers the nine. That's why it's called complete protein.

F) MEAT - FOR A HEALTHY HEART!
1) Meat contains many B vitamins that are needed for the production of hormones, red blood cells and the proper functioning of your nervous system.
2) Greet niacin, folic acid, thiamine, biotin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6. All are found in the flesh.

So, let's counteract these negative myths about the health of the meat by clarifying the facts.

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