Meat & Your Health: Which Choices Are Bad?

Unless you're a vegetarian, chances are you have favorite meats that you like to consume on a regular basis: a big juicy hamburger, a ham sandwich, or even a delectable grilled sirloin steak. Despite the fact that these and other meats can be pretty tasty, many aren't as healthy as we might think. In fact, there are some meats that aren't healthy at all, and can be the cause of various ailments. If you're curious about which meats aren't as healthy as you may have thought, this article will focus on some of the less healthy meats and explain exactly why they're not very good for you.

Beef - Unless you eat beef from organic, grass-fed cows, it may not be such a healthy meat to consume on a regular basis. Cows are often fed improper diets, and also injected with antibiotics to ward off diseases and hormones to accelerate growth, which can be detrimental to humans' health. Beef is a wonderful source of protein, iron and other necessary nutrients, but if you're eating tainted meat, you'll be causing yourself more harm than good. Paying the extra money for organic beef or purchasing your meat from a trusted farmer are smarter alternatives that you'll really be grateful for in the long run.

Pork - Have you ever eaten a pepperoni pizza? Barbecue ribs? Biscuits, sausage and gravy? A great deal of people have, since they're very popular foods. Although there is pepperoni and sausage made of chicken and turkey, most of these foods come from a pig. Pigs are known for being infected with various parasites, including tapeworms, which can be hazardous to the health of human beings. If you have to make sure to cook meat long enough in order to ensure that all the parasites have been killed to avoid infection, you may be better off eating some other kind of meat besides pork.

Hotdogs/bologna/sausage/bacon - Any type of meat in this category, hotdogs, bologna, sausage, salami, etc, are convenient for preparing quick meals, sandwiches and snacks, but unless the packaging specifically says otherwise, these types of lunch-style meats contain not only high rates of saturated fat, but also contain preservatives such as sodium nitrate. Sodium nitrate is a potentially cancer-causing chemical used to preserve just about all breakfast and lunch meats. If you must consume these types of meats, there are natural variations that can be purchased at local health food stores and even at fine grocery stores.

References:

Natural News sodium nitrate information - www.naturalnews.com/007024_Grocery_warning_dangerous_foods.html

Dangers Of Eating Pork Article - www.newswithviews.com/Ciola/greg8.htm

Nutritional Value of Beef -www.nutritiondata.com/facts/beef-products/7492/2