Red meat is a type of meat that is extremely healthy and delicious to boot!
Many types of meat are considered to be red meat, but not all of them fall into this category. One meat that might be considered red meat is lamb.
In this article, we will discuss if lamb is red meat, the benefits and risks, and finally, how much you should eat.
By the end, you’ll know everything you need to know about lamb.
Contents
Does Lamb Count as Red Meat?
Red meat is a type of meat that usually comes from a four-legged mammal and not one that is a bird or fowl. Also, red meat is red when it is in its raw form.
You won’t be surprised to discover that lamb is considered to be red meat.
Lamb or mutton may not be something people eat all the time, but it still is considered to be red meat and is a great source of it as well.
In the next section, we will go into all the benefits of eating lamb and then the risks because you can’t have one without the other. It’s just a fact of life!
Benefits of Eating Lamb
If you have never eaten lamb before, you are going to want to consider trying it because there are a lot of benefits to eating lamb.
- Consuming lamb can help you lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, heart disease, and general inflammation in the body. The reason for this is partly because of how the lamb is fed before it is butchered.
- Lamb has a lot of omega-3 fats. This is great for the body because it can help lower your risk of inflammation and heart disease.
- There is also a lot of selenium and zinc in lamb. These are important minerals to take into your body because it protects against oxidative stress.
- Finally, there is a lot of conjugated linoleic acid found in lamb. This helps reduce body fat and reduce inflammation. The research on reducing body fat is still new, so more studies need to be done to figure out just how much it can reduce in your body overall.
All these benefits come from lamb that is grass-fed. So, if you were to have a lamb that isn’t grass-fed, you may still get them but just not as strongly.
Before considering buying lamb, just look into what they are fed so you can make sure you reap the most benefits from your meal.
Risks of Eating Lamb
Where there are benefits, there are risks, and lamb is no different.
- Eating a lot of lamb can lead to you getting prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer.
- If you eat a lot of lamb, it could lead to you getting chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. You can live with all of these, but they all require a huge lifestyle change.
- Finally, the last risk that can come from eating lamb is foodborne illnesses such as food poisoning and bacteria. The best way to prevent this from happening is to make sure that lamb is cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. You can tell the temperature by using a meat thermometer to check to see what the internal temperature reads.
These are the biggest risks of eating lamb. One can be prevented by eating it in moderation, and the other can be prevented by making sure it’s not raw or undercooked.
How Much Lamb Should You Consume?
The most important thing to understand is that red meat should be eaten in moderation. When it comes to lamb or red meat in general, you shouldn’t eat more than three portions of it in the span of a week.
This isn’t to say that you can’t do a little more now and then, but you don’t want to make a habit of it. If you do, then you could be putting yourself at risk of the health risks that we mentioned above.
Final Thoughts
And there you go, all you lamb lovers out there! Now you know if lamb counts as red meat, what the benefits and risks there are, and finally, how much you should eat. So next time you go buy some lamb, you’ll know exactly what you are getting.
So, what are you waiting for? Go out and purchase yourself some lamb! We promise you won’t be sorry.
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 Ham 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.