Posted on 03/01/2018 11:37:46 AM PST by nickcarraway
The words 'pork fat' and 'nutritious' don't quite go together, but that may soon change, given a surprising finding by scientists which was first published in 2015 but went viral only recently.
According to a BBC report in January, researchers who analysed more than 1,000 raw foods found that lard is among the top 10 foods which provide the best balance of a person's daily nutritional requirements.
Pork fat was ranked 8th in a list of 100 foods, with a nutritional score of 74 - the higher the number, the more likely it will meet your daily nutritional needs.
It is listed as containing "a good source of B vitamins and minerals" as well as being "more unsaturated and healthier than lamb or beef fat".
Here are the top 10 most nutritious foods and their nutritional scores, according to the study:
1. Almonds, 97 2. Cherimoya (a type of fruit), 96 3. Ocean perch (a deep-water fish), 89 4. Flatfish, 88 5. Chia seeds, 85 6. Pumpkin seeds, 84 7. Swiss chard, 78 8. Pork fat, 73 9. Beet greens, 70 10. Snapper, 69
In addition, pork fat contains oleic acid with 60% monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated oleic acid has been found to be good for the heart, arteries and skin, and also helps to regulate hormones. As a comparison, butter contains 45% monounsaturated fat.
But as with many things, moderation is key.
Excessive consumption of fat can lead to obesity, according to a Singapore-based nutritionist interviewed by the Chinese daily.
"As long as it's pure and unprocessed, it can be beneficial for the body," said the nutritionist. But she recommends not consuming more than six spoonfuls a day, and stresses the importance of a balanced diet: "For example, meat is a better source of Vitamin B than fat, and essential omega-3 fatty acids are obtained from other foods."
Still, it's good news for the rest of us who can tuck into our favourite roast pork or kou rou bao (pork belly bun) with just a little less guilt.
My gosh, if only, right from the beginning, they had said thank you for your input but respectfully, we are not a restaurant that caters to vegetarians and we never will be. So suck it.
Not that that wouldn’t be different in India of course, there I would fully EXPECT them to take all that into consideration.
Humans have existed far longer than 10,000 years. And ancestors for millions of years before that.
Recorded history is a drop in the bucket of overall history.
If you can eat duck fat, that is supposed to be good too.
I loooooove duck fat. Hard to casually find and expensive but so delicious. Also fois gras.
Any old Eastern North Carolina boy coulda told you that!
I don’t know, I just looked it up online as Origin of Butter, and that is what came up. I know in Bible pork was unclean and not used in Old Testament, but was declared clean in New. Probably had to do with smoking/processing that came later.
Butter is versatile, and improves flavor of lots of things. It is great tenderizer/marinade for steak. I never liked margarine, it was a fake food...refused it.
I had the experience once of Ray visiting our location, once was enough, he had astronomical standards. I believe Ray would have told them to go play with themselves.
I only started thinking about that because I was reading about how there was a rare gene for lactose intolerance and only people with the gene could live in the cold climates because those people could drink milk to get their vitamin D. And I thought, how weird, most people in the world had to stop drinking milk when they grew up, but your post made me realize I bet they could consume BUTTER.
I see where you got that now. A lot of people who consumed alcoholic beverages in cold climates used fats like butter, before indulging...supposed to protect from getting intoxicated too fast. I don’t know, I don’t drink...
Oh does it now?
My pancreas exploded some 20 years ago. No dietary restrictions imposed at that time, I eat pretty much what I please to this day. (Although I am cutting down on carbs and sugars, or at least attempting to...)
Our Carin terrier has that.
Special food from the vet. Not cheap. But he is a much happier old dog with it.
I made bacon, cheese and ham omelets this morning. The pans were greased with bacon fat. It’s a staple in this house.
Cairn terriers are wonderful.
Read an article the other day that increased statin use may be contributing to the increase in Alzheimer’s. It seems the brain uses a lot of cholesterol to function properly. No cholesterol impaired brain function.
That sounds horrible! I didn’t know those could explode.
My mom and aunt always cooked with lard. Both had high cholesterol levels and died of heart issues, at 93 & 97 respectively.
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