Not many persons have had the opportunity to savor this delicious and healthy delicacy. I, for one, hadn’t tasted this meal until quite recently when I attended the send forth of an old friend. Originally, I had many reservations about the meal but everything changed when I had just one bite. Since I couldn’t seem to get enough of this tasty meal, I needed to be sure that there are no far-reaching negative health repercussions for my seeming ‘addiction’ to lamb meat. So, I decided to do a bit of research about this delicacy and its many health benefits. I’ll be sharing some of the things I discovered with you.
First, What is Lamb Meat?
Let’s start here. Lamb meat is simply the meat gotten from baby sheep. Baby sheep are referred to as lamb; especially when they are in their first year.
Lamb meat is a type of red meat that is rich in iron. In fact, experts say that lamb meat is a whole lot healthier than the usual chicken or fish that form the greater part of our normal diet. It is also rich in high-quality proteins, fat, vitamins and minerals.
Strangely, lamb meat is usually eaten uncooked. I personally think eating unprocessed food is something for the brave. Since I am not so brave, I prefer to eat the cured lamb meat which is smoked and salted.
Let’s Talk Lamb Meat and Nutrients
I have already mentioned that lamb meat is rich in a number of nutrients like high-quality proteins, fat, vitamins and minerals. Basically, lamb meat is primarily made up of a generous amount of proteins. The implication of this is that lamb meat can supply the body with all the essential amino acids.
Lamb meat is also rich in saturated fats and transfat. In addition, it is rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, selenium, zinc, niacin, and iron. It also contains anti-oxidants and bio-active substances like taurine, creatine, and cholesterol.
Health Benefits of Lamb Meat
So far, I have outlined some important nutrients that can be derived from lamb meat. I’m certain that at this point, you already have an idea of why lamb meat should be a part of your daily diet. To make things even clearer, here are six amazing reasons you should not miss lamb meat in your next diet. Let’s get talking!
Something with Cancer?
Apparently yes! Lamb meat has been linked to cancer treatment options. Lamb meat is essentially rich in Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA); a compound that provides strong indications of being useful in cancer treatment; especially in cases of breast cancer. Lamb meat is rich in a number of anti-oxidants that inhibit the growth of malignant body cells; hence, reducing your risk of having any form of cancer.
Something with Anaemia
Experts say that eating lamb meat regularly may reduce the chances of suffering anemia. Anemia is a medical condition that results from iron deficiency. This deficiency in iron leads to lower numbers of red blood cells in the body and ultimately affects the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. Chances are that you may be suffering from anemia if you are always weak or fatigued. Good news is that anemia can be treated and prevented by incorporating a healthy amount of lamb meat into your diet every day.
Lamb meat is rich in iron; especially heme-iron which is bio-available in nature. Apart from this, lamb meat also speeds up the body’s rate of absorption of non-heme iron which is usually derived from plants. All these mean that the more lamb meat you eat, the lower your chances of anemia.
Keeping your Heart Healthy
I was shocked when I discovered that lamb meat is actually great for the heart. Prior to my research, I always assumed that consuming any form of red meat regularly meant bad news for my heart’s health. How glad I was when I discovered that consuming dietary cholesterol does not exactly put one at risk of suffering any cardio-vascular conditions.
Now, I cannot overemphasize the importance of a healthy heart. Your heart is one of the most essential organs in your body. This is because it is central to the execution of your body’s biological functions and metabolism. Thus, it follows that for your body to function the right way, you must ensure that your heart stays healthy and happy. One way to achieve this is to eat lamb meat regularly.
According to experts, eating lamb meat regularly, and in the right quantity, will reduce your chances of suffering a number of cardiovascular conditions like hypertension, stroke and heart attacks.
Improving your Stamina
Now, this is one for the athletes. Because of its high amino acids content, eating lamb meat regularly will help to improve your stamina and overall muscles functioning. Lamb meat is rich in beta-alanine; an essential amino acid which the body utilizes to produce carnosine. Carnosine is an important substance that aids proper muscle functioning.
In addition, it helps to decrease fatigue and improve your body’s overall performance. Eating lamb meat regularly will help you optimize your physical performance.
Keeping your Skin Healthy and Glowing
Say hello to a lamb meat diet and goodbye to all kinds of cosmetics products! Lamb meat is really all you need to keep your skin glowing and radiating. Lamb meat helps in skin toning and skin lightening. It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Thus, eating lamb meat regularly will provide your skin with anti-oxidant protection. It will also slow down the aging process by rejuvenating skin cells and preventing the appearance of wrinkles and age spots on your skin.
Boosting your Immune System
Eating lamb meat will also help to boost your body’s immune system. Lamb meat is rich in zinc; a nutrient that aids protein synthesis, blood clotting and aids the overall growth and development. In addition, it helps to improve your senses of taste and smell, and it ultimately improves the total immune functioning of your body system.
Any Side Effects?
Like everything good, lamb meat has a few side effects; especially when it is consumed in a large quantity. Lamb meat contains purines; as such, persons who suffer from gout or kidney stones are advised to abstain from this diet as their bodies cannot filter out purines.
It is also important to note that eating lamb meat in large quantities increases your chances of suffering kidney stones. Usually, purines are converted to uric acid and if the kidney doesn’t expel this toxic material completely, it will accumulate and put one at risk of kidney stones.
Lamb meat is rich in saturated fats and calories; as such, excessive consumption of lamb meat in large quantities can increase blood cholesterol levels and this can put you at risk of suffering a range of cardiovascular conditions such as cardiac arrest, stroke, and hypertension. It may also lead to excessive weight gain and obesity.
Apart from these, lamb meat is great for everyone. However, just as is obtainable in everything else, moderation is key!
Final Words…
Now you know some of the amazing health benefits which you can savor from adding lamb meat to your everyday diet. Remember that the best part of lamb meat comes with eating it at the right time and in the right quantity. I’m heading out to the store to get a pack or two of processed lamb meat for dinner; I think you should do the same.
