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

Mankind 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. After all, with the intake of meat food in the body are supplied with nutrients such as aminocarboxylic acids.

Many are interested in how much meat is useful, what kinds of it are considered the best? These and other similar questions can be answered by studying the information in which the characteristics and nutritional value of meat are presented.

Meat is a healthy product

Tens of years are debated about whether meat is good for the human body and how much it should be in the day's diet. Many believe that the amino acid composition of the proteins of this product is very close to similar compounds contained in the human body, so products of animal origin should be eaten more. Some are convinced that meat is a toxic protein product, which should be abandoned altogether.

But most experts suggest to adhere to the golden mean in this respect. So Academician N.M. Amosov - a world-famous doctor, a well-known propagandist of a healthy lifestyle, assured that no more than 100 g of meat should be present in the person's daily menu. However, the intake of such food depends on the individual characteristics of each individual organism. One needs meat every day, others prefer fish or vegetables.

Refusing meat products, it must be remembered that the nutritional value of meat is high. It is the main supplier of essential aminocarboxylic acids. In other products there are no these nutrients.

Meat and its structure

Consider the meat parts of the carcass of slaughtered cattle, from which the skin is eliminated. The head must be cut off first, the entrails removed. The components of meat are muscle and connective tissues, the fat layer, as well as vessels and tendons. The chemical composition and nutritional value of meat depends on the breed of the animal, its age, sex, conditions of detention, the degree of fatness, the correctness of the slaughter.

The most important thing in the product is muscle tissue. Its share is about 50-64 percent of the total weight of a downhole carcass. In its composition - muscle fibers (muscles, tendons). The softest tissue is located in those muscle groups for which there was minimal physical activity (pelvic area, spine, lower back).

The muscular tissue of young individuals is also soft. At old it is a bit harsh. In cooking, it is best to use those parts of the carcass that consist of a large number of muscle tissue, because they have few tendons, respectively, reducing the amount of waste.

Nutritional properties of meat products

The nutritional and biological value of meat is due to its constituents. They are amino acid proteins and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are contained in lipids - natural organic compounds. And meat is also an invaluable source of phosphorus, B vitamins and useful biologically significant elements. Present in the meat are also extractive substances that 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 are wondering about how much meat contains cholesterol. Those who care about their health can be calm: this is a very small number - about 0.06-0.12 percent.

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

Objective indicators determine the nutritional value of meat (beef) - the ratio of edible parts of 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 every living thing is meat. They eat mainly meat of livestock, in particular pigs, cows, and also sheep and horses. However, the list of raw materials of animal origin used for food is quite wide.

For example, meat of mammals (beef, pork, lamb, horse meat, camel, dog, etc.) is suitable for food; Rodents (rabbit and rabbit); Hoofed animals (elk, venison) and, undoubtedly, avian - from the usual chicken to exotic game.

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

It is worth emphasizing that each nation gives preference to one or another type of product.

For example, in India they do not eat beef, and in Muslim countries - pork. Representatives of the Slavic people almost do not eat horsemeat and completely reject the dog-dog and the frog. But in many European countries, horse meat is a favorite product. Chinese and Koreans consider it to be a delicacy of dog meat, and the French and Americans adore dishes from frogs.

Daily consumption rate

The approximate norm for the menu is 150 grams of meat per day. However, this does not mean that everyone should eat just such a quantity of it. Human nutrition simply needs to be balanced and satisfy the taste needs. In addition, the daily rate may vary due to certain diseases. Thus, suffering from atherosclerosis is recommended to take 70-80 grams of fat-free meat per day or three times a week for 150 g. British doctors believe that the adult population must eat 90 grams of red meat without specifying the maximum rates for poultry in the daily ration .

Scientists of the world level dealing with the science of nutrition do not put forward special requirements for the consumption of meat products. Everything depends on the individual characteristics (nationality, religion, level of the economy of the country of residence) of a person.

However, studies show that the consumption of red meat in large quantities overloads the body with organic substances (resulting in excess uric acid) and metabolic products. This has a bad effect on the liver, kidneys, causes malfunction in the cardiovascular system. So, control over the consumption of meat is indisputably necessary.

In comparison with animal proteins, similar compounds found in fish have no less value. They are easily digested, therefore recommended for daily consumption. And people of mature age 1-2 days a week better to replace meat with fish or dairy products.

Qualitative 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 superior quality (chilled) should be dry, pale red, slightly moistened on the cut, but not sticky. The dimple, when pressed on benign meat, disappears with lightning speed, and the juice comes out clear when cut. The color of the fat depends on the type of meat: the pork fat is whitish pink, and the beef is pale yellow.

Excellent quality of a piece of meat with a heated knife. When piercing a stale product from the knife, then an unpleasant odor emanates.

If the meat has lost its elastic consistency, it is sticky, slippery and darkened, then it is of poor quality. When cutting, it is seen that substandard meat has a greyish-green hue, and the depression with a finger is not aligned with the finger. The nutritional value of this kind of meat is completely lost.

Nitrites and nitrates in meat products

Harmful "vitamins", being food preservatives, help to preserve the pink shade of meat products. They are added to smoked products, sausage, many canned meat delicacies, and also used for the salting of meat products.

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

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

In addition, nitrates and nitrites have a poor effect on the digestive system, disrupting the action of enzymes and preventing the absorption of proteins and fats.

Culinary processing

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

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

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

Proteins and Fats

The richness of meat with aminocarboxylic acids promotes high protein content (14-24%). The high calorie content of the product is affected by the presence in it of a huge amount of fats (30-40%).

In the digestive tract, fatty meat is digested longer. Its nutritional value is due not so much to the structure of proteins, but mainly to the fat content, organic compounds and extractive substances.

Beef meat contains 2.9-16% fat and 14-21% protein; Pork, depending on the degree of longevity - 28, 33-49% fat and 17, 14-12% protein; Chicken - 8-18% fat and 18-21% protein. In the turkey, the protein is slightly larger.

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

By-products

Animals give us not only meat. The nutritional value of many offal products (tongue, kidneys, heart) is also high. The liver is most valued, as it is a real storehouse of vitamins from different groups, as well as blood-forming substances. All microelements are perfectly absorbed from the heat-treated liver (boiled, stewed, fried) and pates, therefore, there is no need to use it half-baked (many recommend doing so with reduced hemoglobin). However, the liver contains purines, cholesterol, uric acid, so that suffering from gout, kidney disease, atherosclerosis and those who are overweight, its consumption should be limited.

Thus, to exclude from the diet meat, the nutritional value of which is really high, is not fully recommended.

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