The Pros and Cons of White Meat and Red Meat
In nutritional science the distinguishing feature between white and red meat is myoglobin which is a protein that gives red meat such as beef its dark color. Most people though differentiate the two types on the basis of the taste that they develop. As a major proportion of people prefer white or red meat on the basis of taste many others like to differentiate the two on the basis of health benefits. Due to presence or absence of the protein Myoglobin the nature of the types of meat is not only distinguished, but they also have a set of different pros and cons.
The following are some of the pros and cons of white and red meat:
If you love white meat than there’s absolutely no harm in it as there are numerous pros when it comes to regular white meat consumption. On the other hand you have to lower down your consumption of beef!
- Calories: There are fewer calories when it comes to white meat, the consumption of white meats have this advantage that if you eat 100 g of chicken the calories would be 165. Whereas a consumption of 100 g of beef the calories would be around 470. Hence white meat provides you sufficient proteins along with fewer calories.
- Vitamins: The most important aspect of consuming red meat is the vitamins that come with it. Red meat also contains higher levels of iron. This iron is readily absorbed by the human body and is obviously advantageous especially for those who regularly go to the gym. Zinc and vitamin B are found in red meat as well.
Although red meats have higher concentrations of minerals and vitamins it is extremely important that you don’t consume it in high proportions as research suggests that it can cause certain cancers. - Fat content: The main difference among the two types of meat is the amount of fat. White meat is popular among households because it has less fat as compared to red meat.
- Taste: Taste is something that is entirely subjective as people have their own ideas and experiences of what tastes better, but white meat is generally considered as having a better taste than red meat. Not to forget that there are many people who prefer red meat simply for its taste as it tastes juicier than white meat.
Fish
Fish is another type of white meat that is popular among people for the obvious reasons it has low calories and tastes so good! But yes, it has some disadvantages for the human body as well. Some fishes contain higher amounts of mercury which can essentially be dangerous for the nervous system of the consumer. Hence it is strongly recommended that pregnant women and young children should consume fish with extreme precaution.
It can be clearly seen that there are distinct benefits and potential harmful characteristics of white and red meat but this doesn’t mean that a certain type of meat should be avoided. What’s important is to have a combination of both the two meats as great dietary benefits can be achieved this way.
