Red meat is a certain type of meat that comes with health benefits as well as being unbelievably delicious.
However, not all meats fall into the red meat category. One food that people might wonder whether it is red meat or not is pork.
In this article, we will discuss if pork 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 pork.
Contents
Does Pork Count as Red Meat?
Meat is considered red meat if it comes from a non-fowl or bird mammal and is red when in its raw form.
Pork is from a four-legged mammal that is not a bird, and when it’s raw, it is red. Because of this, it’s safe to say that pork is red meat.
Once you cook the pork, it becomes lighter, as all red meats do when they are cooked. However, just because it becomes pinkish doesn’t mean that it isn’t still considered to be red meat.
Benefits of Eating Pork
Pork is delicious food, and it is also a food that can come with a lot of health benefits for you in the long run.
- Like most red meats, pork has a lot of protein. This isn’t all. It also has niacin, iron, zinc, and vitamins B12 and B6. The B vitamins that are found in pork are essential for your body because it helps in blood cell creation and makes your brain function properly.
- There is a good amount of thiamine, phosphorus, and selenium. Thiamine, in particular, is great because it is beneficial to a lot of functions in your body. Selenium, on the other hand, is good for your thyroid and helps it function properly.
- Overall, pork can help increase muscle performance and maintain your muscles in general. The reason for this is the proteins in it as well as the amino acids, which are essential in performing these functions.
As you can see, pork is chock full of benefits.
Risks of Eating Pork
Unfortunately, there are also a lot of risks that come with eating pork.
- One big issue with pork is that it has a lot of sodium and saturated fats. The reason this is a big problem is that if you are eating foods with either or both of these things, then you are putting yourself at risk of disease. These diseases are high blood pressure, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, to name a few. The best way to avoid any of these things is to limit the amount of sodium and saturated fats you take into your body.
- Another problem with pork is that it can contain parasites. If you consume raw or undercooked pork, then you put yourself at risk of this.
- One such parasite you can be at risk of is a pork tapeworm.It ends up settling in your intestines and is usually harmless. However, it can sometimes lead to you getting a disease called This can lead you to get epilepsy.
- Another type of parasite you can end up with is called trichinella. This leads to trichinosis, which is usually not fatal. Most symptoms are mild, but with people that have compromised immune systems like the elderly.
The best way to avoid these risks, besides cooking your pork, is to eat it in moderation! We will cover how much you need to eat in the next section.
How Much Pork Should You Consume?
There is a required amount of pork you can eat before it starts putting your body at risk. It’s recommended that you consume no more than three portions of pork per week.
Three portions would be around 12 ounces, so try to aim somewhere around that number when you are cooking and then serving the food.
It’s always good to enjoy things in moderation. This includes food. We know that food is a delicious thing to indulge in.
However, even food needs to be consumed in moderation because despite how much we hate it, there is too much of a good thing.
Final Thoughts
And there you go, all you pork lovers out there! Now you know if pork counts as red meat, what the benefits and risks there are, and finally, how much you should eat.
This way, the next time you go to the store and get pork, you’ll know exactly what to expect.
So, what are you waiting for? Go out and get yourself some pork!
You might also be interested in the following:
- Is Egg Considered Meat?
- Is Shrimp Considered Red Meat?
- Is Seafood Considered Red Meat?
- Is Lamb 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.