One of the most popular types of food in the world is meat, and it’s especially true for red meat. The reason for this is that it is delicious and also very healthy to boot.
However, not all foods are considered to be red meat. One of the foods that may be considered to be red meat or not is ham.
In this article, we will discuss if the ham is red meat, the benefits and risks, and finally, how much you should eat.
By the end, you will know everything you need to know about ham.
Contents
Does Ham Count as Red Meat?
For meat to count as red meat, it must be from a four-legged mammal or be read in its raw form.
Ham comes from a pig, which is a four-legged animal, and when it’s raw, it’s red, so based on these two factors, ham is red meat.
This piece of meat is very delicious and comes with both benefits and risks. We are going to touch on this in the next sections so you can have all the information you need to decide.
Benefits of Eating Ham
There are many benefits of eating this delicious meat. They include:
- One thing ham has a lot of is protein. The reason why protein is so important for your body is that it can help with muscle loss and bones in general.
- There are a lot of minerals in ham, such as iron, potassium, zinc, selenium, and phosphorus. All of these help your body with a variety of things and are especially important for your daily functioning.
- Ham has a lot of nutrients that give you energy, like Vitamin B12, iron, carnosine, co-enzyme, and choline.
- You might be surprised to learn that ham is very low in saturated fats compared to some other red meats out there. That is always a plus!
- Finally, you will find that there are a lot of B vitamins found in ham, which are B1, B6, and B3.
Here you have the biggest benefits of eating ham, but where there are benefits, you also have risks to boot.
Risks of Eating Ham
When eating ham, you will find that there are some risks that you want to avoid if you can.
- One big risk of eating ham is that you could increase your risk of getting colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, or pancreatic cancer. This is because red meat, such as ham, can have a possible carcinogen. The best way to avoid this is by eating the required amount experts suggest.
- Eating a lot of ham could lead to you having a lower life expectancy. There are a lot of reasons for this. One main reason is that eating a lot of animal products can increase your risk of some kind of illness when compared to plant-based food.
- Finally, ham could increase your risk of heart disease depending on how much you eat. There have been several studies done over the years. Some have shown that increased consumption of red meat, such as ham, can put your heart at risk.
So here you have the biggest risks of eating ham. The best way to avoid this is to eat the recommended amount, which we are going to cover in the next section.
How Much Ham Should You Consume?
Even with ham, there are too many good things. We know it is unbelievably delicious, but you should only indulge in it now and then.
What you should do is eat ham in moderation to prevent yourself from getting any of those risks we talked about.
It is recommended that people who eat red meat should not eat more than 3 portions per week. These portions are usually around 12 to 18 ounces.
We know it can be difficult not to indulge all the time, but for the sake of yourself, it’s important that you do not!
Final Thoughts
And there you go, all you ham lovers out there! Now you know if ham counts as red meat, what the benefits and risks there are, and finally, how much you should eat.
So, if you happen to be going to the grocery store anytime soon, consider purchasing ham!
Just make sure that you always use safe cooking practices. This way, you can make sure you do not put yourself at risk of illness, sit back, and enjoy the piece of ham that you have prepared.
You might also be interested in the following:
- Is Egg Considered Meat?
- Is Shrimp Considered Red Meat?
- Is Seafood Considered Red Meat?
- Is Pork Considered Red Meat?
- Is Lamb Considered Red Meat?
- Is Fish Considered Red Meat?
- Is Chicken Considered Red Meat?
- What Is Considered White Meat?
- What Is Considered Processed Meat?
- What Is Considered Lean Meat?
- What Is Considered Red Meat?
I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.