Eat Your Red Meat!

One of the first things I learned when competing in 4-H Special Foods was that beef is packed with ZIP- Zinc, Iron, and Protein. As a kid, I was so excited every year to cook with my home-raised beef and tell the judges how their food was packed with ZIP. However, the longer I competed in Special Foods, the more I noticed a trend in my required amount of protein. When I was a senior in 4-H and serving my judges my incredibly delicious beef recipes, 1 serving of my recipe almost completely fulfilled the daily protein requirement for a female of my age. As a girl who was a four-sport athlete, you can see where I would be confused about why my protein requirement was so low. Sadly, reducing red meat intake is a very prevalent trend in the United States. But, why?

Let’s dive into the specific reasons why we should be increasing our red meat intake, rather than reducing it.

Red Meat is PACKED with Zinc, Iron, and Protein

To start with the simplest reason to eat red meat, it is packed with these three key things. A four-ounce serving of beef is filled with 26 grams of protein. Protein not only helps build muscle but also, eating high-quality red meat can help with weight loss because it curbs hunger. Red meat protein is especially important as you age because you lose 3-5% of muscle mass.

Red meat also contains high levels of zinc and iron which are essential for normal body functions. Iron is critical to oxygen transportation. Red meat not only carries iron, but the iron it carries is the heme form of iron which is more bioavailable than the iron found in plants. As for zinc, it helps maintain the immune system and can decrease your susceptibility to infection and inflammatory disease.

Healthy Fat

Not only are you reducing food waste by using red meat fat, but you also can gain so many health benefits by consuming fat from red meat. Beef fat specifically is anti-inflammatory and nutrient-dense, full of fat-soluble vitamins.

Also, because fat from red meat is packed with palmitoleic acid, a fat that is an elemental building block of skin, red meat fat is great for your skin and hair. This is also shown to help increase collagen and elastin production and can counteract the oxidative damage from your skin receiving too much sun.  

Major Nutrients ONLY Naturally Found Red Meat

B12

B12 is crucial in the process of converting food into energy. A B12 deficiency can not only lead to a loss of energy, but because of its critical role in maintaining neurochemical pathways, a B12 deficiency has also been shown to lead to depression, dementia, and even Alzheimer's Disease.

Carnosine/Carnitine/Taurine

There’s a reason there’s a new health kick in drinking bone broth, and it could have a lot to do with carnosine, carnitine, and CoQ10. Not only are these all associated with increased brain function, but also are associated with skin quality. These powerful amino acids are all linked to being anti-inflammatory, supporting heart health, and supporting cognitive function.

Red Meat Supports Mental Health

There are actually multiple studies that show increasing your intake of red meat can help decrease your risk for depression. With so many components that improve brain health, it’s no wonder why red meat can help reduce your risk of depression. The nutrient directly associated with depression are B12 and creatine. One study showed that when red meat is taken out of a diet, that person is 250% more likely to develop depression.

Red Meat Diets Show Incredible Health Benefits

A study was done by Harvard in 2021 gathered data from 2,029 people on the carnivore diet. This study showed that:

·     93% improved or resolved obesity and excess weight

·     93% improved hypertension

·     98% improved conditions related to diabetes

·     97% improved gastrointestinal symptoms

·     96% improved psychiatric symptoms

Check out some of these amazing findings related to diabetes.

I’ve always known that beef was the right way to go, even when the government decided that eating beef had adverse health effects. No matter where you get information, you should always double-check where they get their information. Especially when it’s the government trying to tell you how to take care of your body. And, you really have to wonder, why, when beef packs such a nutritional punch, is the USDA pushing to reduce protein intake so drastically?

Sources

Top 6 Benefits of Red Meat - Dr. Robert Kiltz (doctorkiltz.com)

CARNOSINE: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews (webmd.com)

Beef Tallow: Why It Should Be a Kitchen Staple - Dr. Robert Kiltz (doctorkiltz.com)