Similarly to plants, animal foods contain a number of bioactive substances — other than vitamins and minerals — that may affect health:
Pork 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Effects
Pork is the meat of the domestic pig (Sus domesticus).
It’s the most commonly consumed red meat worldwide, especially in eastern Asia, but its consumption is forbidden in certain religions, such as Islam and Judaism.
For this reason, pork is illegal in many Islamic countries.
It is often eaten unprocessed, but cured (preserved) pork products are also very common. These include smoked pork, ham, bacon, and sausages.
Being high in protein and rich in many vitamins and minerals, lean pork can be an excellent addition to a healthy diet.
This article tells you everything you need to know about pork.
Pork is a high-protein food and contains varying amounts of fat.
A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of cooked, ground pork provides the following nutrients ( 1 ):
Pork protein
Like all meat, pork is mostly made up of protein.
The protein content of lean, cooked pork is around 26% by fresh weight.
When dry, the protein content of lean pork can be as high as 89% — making it one of the richest dietary sources of protein ( 1 ).
It contains all nine essential amino acids necessary for your body’s growth and maintenance. In fact, meat is one of the most complete dietary sources of protein.
For this reason, eating pork — or other types of meat — may be particularly beneficial for bodybuilders, recovering athletes, people post-surgery, or others who need to build up or repair muscles.
Pork fat
Pork contains varying amounts of fat.
The proportion of fat in pork usually ranges from 10–16% (2) but can be much higher depending on the level of trimming and other factors.
Clarified pig fat — called lard — is sometimes used as a cooking fat.
Like other types of red meat, pork is mainly composed of saturated fats and unsaturated fats — present in approximately equal amounts.
For example, a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of cooked, ground pork packs about 7.7 grams of saturated, 9.3 grams of monounsaturated, and 1.9 grams of polyunsaturated fat ( 1 ).
The fatty acid composition of pork is slightly different from the meat of ruminant animals, such as beef and lamb.
It’s low in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and slightly richer in unsaturated fats ( 3 ).
SUMMARY
High-quality protein is the main nutritional component of pork, making it useful for muscle growth and maintenance. The fat content of pork varies. It’s mainly made up of saturated and monounsaturated fats.
Pork is a rich source of many vitamins and minerals, including:
- Thiamine. Unlike other types of red meat, such as beef and lamb, pork is particularly rich in thiamine — one of the B vitamins that plays an essential role in various bodily functions ( 4 ).
- Selenium. Pork is rich in selenium. The best sources of this essential mineral are animal-derived foods, such as meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy products ( 5 ).
- Zinc. An important mineral, abundant in pork, zinc is essential for a healthy brain and immune system.
- Vitamin B12. Almost exclusively found in foods of animal origin, vitamin B12 is important for blood formation and brain function. Deficiency in this vitamin may cause anemia and damage to neurons.
- Vitamin B6. A group of several related vitamins, vitamin B6 is important for the formation of red blood cells.
- Niacin. One of the B vitamins, niacin — or vitamin B3 — serves a variety of functions in your body and is important for growth and metabolism.
- Phosphorus. Abundant and common in most foods, phosphorus is usually a large component of people’s diets. It’s essential for body growth and maintenance.
- Iron. Pork contains less iron than lamb or beef. However, the absorption of meat iron (heme-iron) from your digestive tract is very efficient, and pork can be considered an outstanding source of iron.
Pork contains good amounts of many other vitamins and minerals.
Additionally, processed, cured pork products, such as ham and bacon, contain high amounts of salt (sodium).
SUMMARY
Pork is an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals, including thiamine, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, niacin, phosphorus, and iron.
Similarly to plants, animal foods contain a number of bioactive substances — other than vitamins and minerals — that may affect health:
- Creatine. Abundant in meat, creatine functions as an energy source for your muscles. It’s a popular supplement among bodybuilders suggested to improve muscle growth and maintenance ( 6 , 7 ).
- Taurine. Found in fish and meat, taurine is an antioxidant amino acid formed by your body. Dietary intake of taurine may be beneficial for heart and muscle function ( 8 , 9 , 10 ).
- Glutathione. This is an antioxidant, present in high amounts in meat but also produced by your body. Though it’s an essential antioxidant, the role of glutathione as a nutrient is unclear ( 11 , 12 ).
- Cholesterol. A sterol found in meat and other animal-derived foods, such as dairy products and eggs. Moderate intake of cholesterol does not affect cholesterol levels in most people ( 13 ).
SUMMARY
Pork contains a number of bioactive meat compounds, such as creatine, taurine, and glutathione, that may benefit health in various ways.
Pork is high in various healthy vitamins and minerals, as well as high-quality protein. Adequately cooked pork can make an excellent part of a healthy diet.
Maintenance of muscle mass
Like most animal foods, pork is an excellent source of high-quality protein.
With age, maintaining muscle mass is an important health consideration.
Without exercise and proper diet, muscle mass naturally degenerates as you get older — an adverse change that is associated with many age-related health problems.
In the most severe cases, muscle wasting leads to a condition called sarcopenia, which is characterized by very low levels of muscle mass and decreased quality of life. Sarcopenia is most common among older adults.
Inadequate intake of high-quality protein may accelerate age-related muscle degeneration — increasing your risk of sarcopenia ( 14 ).
Eating pork — or other protein-rich foods — is an excellent way to ensure sufficient dietary intake of high-quality protein that may help preserve muscle mass.
Improved exercise performance
Meat consumption is not only beneficial for maintaining muscle mass but may also improve muscle function and physical performance.
Aside from being rich in high-quality protein, pork contains a variety of healthy nutrients that are beneficial for your muscles. These include taurine, creatine, and beta-alanine.
Beta-alanine is an amino acid your body uses to produce carnosine, which is important for muscle function ( 15 , 16 ).
In fact, high levels of carnosine in human muscles have been linked to reduced fatigue and improved physical performance ( 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ).
Following vegetarian or vegan diets — which are low in beta-alanine — reduces the amount of carnosine in muscles over time ( 21 ).
In contrast, high dietary intake of beta-alanine — including from supplements — increases muscle carnosine levels ( 15 , 17 , 22 , 23 ).
As a result, eating pork — or other rich sources of beta-alanine — may be beneficial for those who want to maximize their physical performance.
SUMMARY
Pork is an excellent source of high-quality protein, so it should be effective for the growth and maintenance of muscle mass. Like other types of meat, it may also help improve muscle function and exercise performance.
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