Eating white meat has become a fashion, but is it really healthier and safer?

A few days ago, I was having dinner with a friend. At the table, my friend said that she only eats fish, shrimp, chicken, etc., and no longer eats pork, beef, or mutton. When asked why, my friend said that the meats she chose are all white meat. White meat has become the meat of choice for people who are fashionable and health-conscious. Red meat, on the other hand, is too high in fat and can easily lead to obesity, high blood lipids, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, etc. It is not a wise choice...

Listening to my friend's words, everyone around me nodded in agreement. I couldn't help but wonder, is red meat really so "evil"? For the sake of health, should we really completely refuse red meat? Compared with white meat, does red meat really have no nutritional and health advantages?

Image source: Tuchong Creative

1. How are red meat and white meat defined?

When it comes to how to distinguish red meat from white meat, everyone's first reaction is definitely: it's easy to distinguish, just look at the color. However, some friends may wonder: raw meat and cooked meat have different colors, how do you define this?

The answer is: look at the color of raw meat. Raw meat is red, such as pork, beef and mutton, which means that the hemoglobin content in the meat is very high. Raw meat is white, such as chicken, duck and fish, which means that the hemoglobin content is low. But there are exceptions, such as salmon meat, which is pink, but still belongs to white meat. This is because its red color does not come from hemoglobin, but because salmon eats a lot of fish, shrimp and algae for a long time, and the astaxanthin ingested accumulates in the body, which gives it a beautiful orange-pink color.

Generally speaking, commonly eaten animal meat such as pork, beef, mutton, and donkey are all red meat, while the meat of chicken, duck, goose, fish, shrimp, and shellfish are all white meat.

2. Nutritional comparison between red meat and white meat

Since red meat and white meat are both meat, they naturally have similarities in nutrition. For example, both contain rich high-quality protein. Whether it is pork, beef, mutton, fish, shrimp or aquatic products, they are all important sources of high-quality protein in the human diet.

But there are also obvious differences in the nutritional value of red meat and white meat.

First, as mentioned earlier, the hemoglobin content in red meat and white meat is different. In most cases, the hemoglobin content of red meat is higher than that of white meat, and the absorption and utilization rate is also high. In our country, especially among women and adolescents, the incidence of iron deficiency anemia caused by unreasonable dietary structure and other reasons is not low. For children in the growth and development period, if anemia is caused by iron deficiency, it will not only reduce their physical fitness and immunity, but also greatly affect their learning and cognitive abilities. Therefore, if you want to increase the effect of iron and blood supplementation while taking in high-quality protein, it is recommended that you choose red meat, and the darker the color, the higher the hemoglobin content. For example, the dark red beef tenderloin has a better iron supplement effect than the red and white marbled beef.

Secondly, compared with white meat, red meat has a high fat content, and most of it is saturated fatty acids, which have a greater impact on body weight and blood lipids. The fat in white meat is mostly unsaturated fatty acids. Especially in some deep-sea fish and shellfish, they are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids DHA and EPA, which are beneficial for promoting the development of brain and visual cells, preventing dyslipidemia, and reducing the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Deep-sea fish such as salmon and cod have a high content of DHA in their bodies, which are very suitable for children, teenagers and the elderly.

3. Eat red meat or white meat?

We already know that red meat and white meat each have their own nutritional characteristics, and both have their own advantages and disadvantages. For ordinary people, how should they choose?

From a purely nutritional perspective, white meat is indeed a relatively healthier choice than red meat. This is mainly due to the high saturated fat content in red meat. Saturated fat has long been present in modern people's diets. On the contrary, for the sake of health, most modern people need to control their intake of saturated fat. Many domestic and foreign studies have shown that consuming more red meat may increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and various cancers. In contrast, people who consume more white meat are less likely to face such health risks. Moreover, from the perspective of cooking habits, red meat is more often used for high-temperature barbecue than white meat, and carcinogens such as benzopyrene are easily produced during the barbecue process, which can also pose a considerable threat to health. Therefore, on the whole, white meat with a low saturated fat content is healthier than red meat.

However, this conclusion does not necessarily apply to individuals. For example, for a woman or child with iron deficiency anemia, it is certainly recommended to consume red meat. This is mainly because red meat has a better iron supplement effect. If you are worried about consuming too much saturated fat, you only need to pay attention to choosing lean red meat and reduce the amount of cooking oil.

One thing that needs to be reminded is that even if they are both red meat or white meat, different parts of meat may have significant nutritional differences. For example, the protein content of beef shank is as high as 23g/100g and the fat content is as low as 3.3g/100g, while the protein content of beef shoulder is 14.1g/100g and the fat content is as high as 31.7g/100g. For another example, although chicken and duck are white meat, the saturated fat content in their skin is very high. If you prefer to eat the skin when eating chicken and duck, the saturated fat intake is not necessarily less than that of eating lean red meat.

If we consider the processing method of meat, the question of whether to choose red meat or white meat cannot be generalized. Simply put, if a lot of oil is used in the processing process, such as frying or grilling, then white meat will also become a "dangerous" meat with high saturated fat; and if you pay attention to adopting cooking methods with less oil and salt, such as boiling in plain water, steaming, and quick stir-frying with less oil, red meat can also be eaten very healthily. For example, the fat content of fried chicken legs is much higher than that of stewed beef tendons. This shows that improper processing methods can completely make the originally dominant white meat lose to red meat in an instant. Whether you are eating red meat or white meat, it is recommended that you prefer processing methods such as steaming, stewing, and mixing with less oil and salt.

It can be seen that whether to eat red meat or white meat, not only different parts should be considered, but also the health status of different individuals, and the cooking habits of the family. It seems quite complicated, right? In fact, you only need to remember one big principle, that is: there is no good or bad thing, but too much is a disaster. Whether choosing red meat or white meat, the first principle is moderation; the second principle is diversified matching. Diversified matching can not only solve the nutritional deficiencies of red meat and white meat, but also promote the synergistic absorption of various nutrients in food. For example, if you choose white meat because you are worried about consuming too much fat, but you don’t want to give up iron supplementation, you can choose shellfish with high iron content (such as clams and razor clams have high iron content), and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C to promote iron absorption and utilization. If you like to eat red meat, choose more parts with low fat content, and use steaming, boiling, stewing and other methods to process, and pay attention to peeling, which can greatly reduce the risk of excessive fat.

The key to eating meat healthily actually comes down to six words: moderation, suitability, and appropriateness - consume in moderation, choose what suits your health condition, and choose the appropriate cooking method.

The article is produced by Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Project (Creation and Cultivation). Please indicate the source when reprinting.

Author: Wang Lu, Chinese registered dietitian, Master of Public Health, Peking University Reviewer: Xue Qingxin, the first nutrition instructor of the National Health Commission, Chinese registered dietitian