Cholesterol content of MEAT

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Meats and cholesterol

The meats are among the foods with the highest cholesterol content.

Contrary to what one might think, there is not a big difference between the cholesterol content of white meats and the cholesterol content of red meats; while these contents are similar, what distinguishes the two types of meat is the total lipid intake, consequently that of saturated fatty acids.

By carefully observing the cholesterol content of the meat it can be seen that the highest values ​​concern "poultry with skin", "cooked meat" and "back cuts" of animals.

The skin of avian species is to be considered as "a cholesterol reserve" and, considering that many breeds are fed with feed ( pellets ) based on animal flours (which also contain cholesterol), it is likely that the content in steroid molecules of "white meat with skin" obtained from the slaughter of animals of "dubious origin" is even higher than the average reported by the tables of composition of food.

Another factor that can determine the increase of cholesterol in "white meat with skin" is the type of breeding; the "intensive" technique involves the immobilization of the beast, overeating and (unfortunately) often also the use of growth hormones.

The cooked meats are richer in cholesterol because, during the heat treatment, the food loses a significant amount of free water, determining the percentage increase in the total cholesterol content. An observation of the reader could be that, with cooking, the "drain" of the fat should also be favored, therefore also the content in cholesterol should decrease considerably. In reality, while triglycerides are stored in adipose tissue, which melts and drains away with heat, cholesterol is also a constituent of a cellular membrane, therefore its presence cannot be reduced in a similar way to that of overall lipids.

NB . In choosing between farmed meats it is necessary to take into account that pork, a typically fatty and richer in cholesterol, thanks to a constant selection of leaner breeds, today contains quantities very similar to ruminant species.

Some tips to reduce the cholesterol content of animal foods:

1. Eliminate the visible fat, including the skin of chicken, turkey and guinea fowl, since the association of saturated fats with cholesterol favors the atherogenic action. This is why white meat, although containing similar amounts of cholesterol compared to red, if deprived of skin, may be more suitable in the cholesterol-lowering diet
2. Reduce the fat for cooking and absolutely avoid those of animal origin (lard, lard, butter, tallow, etc.); among the various cooking methods the ideal is the boiling, followed by grilling (as long as care is taken not to exceed with the flame causing the carbonization of fats and proteins with consequent formation of toxic and / or polycyclic aromatic carcinogenic agents).
3. Prefer a good "raw" vegetable oil rich in unsaturated and / or (even better) essential fatty acids, as they tend to favor the right balance of food fatty acids.

Recall that good fats are able to limit the damage of bad fats therefore, by choosing the meats less rich in cholesterol, cooking them correctly and using a raw oil rich in unsaturated fatty acids it is possible to derive a great nutritional benefit.

Watch our video vegan recipes and learn how to prepare vegetable meat, good as animal but without cholesterol