Does lean meat contain high protein?

The nutritional value contained in lean meat is very diverse. It not only contains the very common protein, but also contains inorganic salts and some calcium. These nutrients are very good for people's bodies. In addition, the protein contained in lean meat is still very high. Therefore, if the patient has too high protein, even if he reduces the amount of lean meat he consumes, he should not consume it in excess.

Various lean meats contain similar nutrients and are easier to digest than fatty meats. It contains about 20% protein, 1-15% fat, 1% inorganic salt, and the rest is water. Generally speaking, pork, beef and mutton contain higher levels of saturated fat, while poultry, chicken and rabbit meat contain lower levels of saturated fat. It is also rich in inorganic salts, especially iron (red lean meat), phosphorus, potassium, sodium, etc., but less calcium. Lean meat is also a good source of vitamins B1, B2, B12, and PP. The content of vitamin B1 in lean pork is quite high. However, it contains very little vitamin A and almost no vitamin C.

There is a saying among the people that "meat is good for three days, soup is good for seventeen", which means that the nutritional value of broth is higher than that of the meat in the soup. This view needs to be corrected. The broth contains some water-soluble substances in lean meat, such as inorganic salts and water-soluble vitamins; there are also a small amount of water-soluble proteins and hydrolysis products, such as peptides and some amino acids; there are also some nitrogen-containing extracts, such as creatinine, creatine, carnosine and purine.

These amino acids and nitrogen-containing substances can make the soup taste delicious. The more they dissolve, the stronger the soup tastes. They can stimulate the secretion of gastric juice in the human body and increase appetite. However, most of the nutrients contained in lean meat still remain in the meat, and the nutritional value of meat is definitely higher than that of soup. Therefore, the elderly and patients should not be allowed to eat only the broth and discard the meat in the broth. [1]

In addition, lean meat is high in methionine. Methionine is an essential amino acid for the synthesis of some hormones in the human body and the maintenance of epidermal health. However, under the catalytic activation of some enzymes, methionine will produce an organic substance called homocysteine ​​during the thermal and physical and chemical treatment process.

Modern medicine believes that homocysteine ​​can directly damage the endothelial cells of the arterial walls, causing lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood to deposit and penetrate into the arterial walls, forming atherosclerotic plaques, and then causing atherosclerosis. Eating too much lean meat will increase the amount of methionine and the homocysteine ​​content will also increase accordingly, accelerating the occurrence of atherosclerosis.

It can be seen that we cannot restrict the consumption of lean meat just because it contains less saturated fatty acids. Generally speaking, the amount of meat that an adult should eat per day should be 1 to 2 taels, which can be increased or decreased appropriately according to personal weight and obesity level. If protein supplementation is needed, the intake of milk and soy products can be appropriately increased.

Western nutritionists believe that the incidence of breast cancer and colorectal cancer in Asian countries such as China and Japan is lower than that in Western countries. This is related to the frequent consumption of soybeans and soy products in Asian countries. Soybeans contain an anti-cancer active substance called isoflavones, 2/3 of which are genistein, which have obvious anti-mutagenic effects on strong carcinogens such as benzo(a)pyrene and methylbenzanthracene, and have a strong inhibitory effect on breast cancer and colorectal cancer. Therefore, people are encouraged to eat less lean meat and more soybeans and their products to maintain their health.