Red meats: which are the ones and 4 reasons to reduce your consumption

The red meats from animals such as res, la oveja, el carnero, ternera, venado, goat and the puerco are an excellent source of proteins, vitamins B3, B6, and B12 and essential minerals for the body such as hierro, zinc and selenio, being able to provide several benefits for health when forming part of a healthy and balanced diet.

However, when they are eaten daily or in excess, and when the cuts are consumed with greater content of fat, the red meats can cause health problems, increasing the risk of suffering heart diseases mainly.

This risk is even greater when the consumption is of processed red meat, such as sausages, sausage and chorizo, for example, because they contain high levels of sodium, preservatives and other chemical additives that end up being more harmful than simple red meat. , being associated with a greater risk of premature death.

The 4 reasons why it is recommended to reduce the consumption of red meat during the week are:

1. Increase the risk of heart diseases

The daily consumption of red meat increases the risk of suffering from heart diseases, affecting the functioning of the heart, which can favor the increase in cholesterol, cause atherosclerosis and raise blood pressure. This is due to the fact that this type of meat contains saturated fats, cholesterol, in the case of processed meats such as sausage and mortadella, sodium and additives such as nitrites and nitrates that are harmful to health.

It is important to mention that even with the elimination of the excess of visible grease from the meat before and after the cooking, the grease remains between the muscle fibers.

What is recommended: prefer the red meat cuts with less fat, reduce their consumption between 2 to 3 times a week and cook it a la plancha, avoiding fried foods or salsas. It is also important to limit the consumption of tocineta, chorizo, sausage and salami to the maximum, as they are the most harmful to health.

2. Increase the risk of suffering cancer

The excess of red meat, especially when accompanied by a low consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grain cereals, increases the risk of suffering from colon cancer mainly. However, some studies have also been related to other types of cancers such as stomach, pharynx, breast and prostate.

This occurs because this type of meat increases inflammation in the intestine, especially processed red meats such as tocineta, sausage and chorizo, favoring changes in the cells that can cause inflammation and favor the appearance of cancer.

The studies on this subject are quite limited, and even some suggest that it is possible that the meat is not seared in itself, as well as some components that are formed during its cooking, mainly when they are cooked at high temperatures, which are achieved when cooking or preparing it. a la parrilla, or when is smoked.

What is recommended: avoid long periods of cooking the meat and its direct exposure to the flame, as well as cooking it at high temperatures, as occurs in the case of frituras, and when preparing the grill. It is also important to avoid the consumption of smoked or burnt meat, if this occurs, the ideal is to eliminate that affected part.

In addition to this, preparing the meat with onions, oil and/or olive oil, could help to reduce one of the harmful compounds that form during cooking. The ideal is to cook them on hot surfaces, to avoid adding some type of oil to the vegetable grease, allowing the meat itself to release the grease existing in it, having to give it several times to prevent it from burning.

See some foods to prevent cancer.

3. It could increase the acidity in the body

The more acidic diets that contain a high consumption of red meats, sugars and a low consumption of fruits and vegetables, have been associated with an increase in the risk of suffering from kidney diseases and diabetes, as opposed to more alkaline diets, this may be chosen consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and less protein content.

Some studies indicate that the excessive consumption of red meats, mainly processed, could increase the acidity in the organism. It is believed that this could cause damage to the fabrics, which in turn would initiate an inflammatory process, causing various health consequences. However, the results of these scientific studies are varied, and further investigations are necessary.

What is recommended: increase the consumption of fruits, vegetables, nueces, fish, white meats and foods rich in fiber, reducing the consumption of red meats, mainly processed.

See which foods are rich in fiber.

4. Could cause antibiotic-resistant intestinal infections

The frequent use of antibiotics in animals can stimulate the appearance of more resistant bacteria in them, which instead of being sacrificed and processed for food, these bacteria can contaminate meat or other animal products, increasing the risk of causing an intestinal infection in humans with this type of antibiotic resistant microorganisms.

What is recommended: wash your hands when handling raw meats, wash the utensils before using them with other foods (to avoid cross-contamination), avoid the consumption of raw meats, avoid keeping the meat unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours.

Furthermore, the ideal is that red meat comes from ecological producers, and that animals are fed in the most natural way possible, mainly with grass, forage and heno; are created al aire libre; and avoid the use of medicines or chemical substances, because your meat is more healthy in the soil for the human being as well as for the environment as well.