Is Pork a Red Meat or White Meat, and Is it Healthy to Eat?

Meat provides most of the protein in American diets. Pork, lamb, mutton, venison, veal, and beef are all red meat.

Meat provides most of the protein in American diets. Protein is crucial for the body's metabolism, growth, and repair, but the source of protein matters. Fish and white meat like poultry are considered healthier than red meat such as beef. Red meat is a good source of high-quality protein and other vital nutrients but also high in saturated fats. Is pork red meat or white, and is it healthy to eat?

Pork, lamb, mutton, venison, veal, and beef are all red meat. They provide protein, minerals, and vitamins and are part of a healthy diet, but eating red meat is known to increase your risk of developing bowel and stomach cancer.

Meat that is dark red before cooking is considered red meat. The red color is caused by a protein called myoglobin which turns red when exposed to air. Pork has significant amounts of this protein and is considered red meat, even though it sometimes looks pale when cooked. Fish and poultry (like chicken and turkey) have little myoglobin and are white meat. Eating white meat or fish does not increase your cancer risk.

When meat is cured, salted, smoked, or preserved, it is considered processed meat. Some processed meats are bacon, sausages, hot dogs, pepperoni, salami, and ham. Minced meat is not considered processed meat.

The World Health Organization considers processed red meat such as bacon, frankfurters, salami, and ham to be substances that can cause cancer (carcinogens). Eating these processed red meats increases your risk of developing stomach and bowel cancer. Red meat such as beef, pork, and lamb are probable carcinogens.

Red meat is an important part of American diets, providing most of the protein. In addition, meat also provides other nutrients like vitamin B12, iron, and zinc that are rare in other food. But there is significant evidence that consuming more than 90 grams a day of red meat increases your risk of bowel cancer.

Red meats contain a protein called haem. When this is digested in the gut, N-nitroso compounds are formed. These cells damage the cells of the intestines, and regular damage can lead to cancer. The danger is greater with processed meats since the nitrite and nitrate preservatives used also produce N-nitroso compounds.

To reduce the risk of bowel cancer, you should limit red meat to 70 grams or less a day. You can do this by eating smaller portions daily, eating meat less often, or replacing meat with alternatives on some days to keep your average daily consumption below 70 grams.

A 100-gram portion of broiled boneless pork loin provides:

• Energy: 195 calories
• Protein: 26.6 grams
• Carbohydrates: none
• Total fats: 9.2 grams
• Saturated fats: 3.1 grams

Pork also contains minerals such as calcium, iron, selenium, zinc, and magnesium. It also provides several B vitamins, but no fiber. Red meat, such as pork, is the main source of vitamin B12 in food. This vitamin is essential for blood formation and nervous system health.

Pork and beef are both red meat and good sources of protein in the diet. They differ in fat content. Lean beef loin cuts contain about 16 grams of total fats per 100-gram broiled portion. Of this, 6.2 grams are saturated fatty acids.

Beef has fat deposits between the muscle bundles, which you can see as marbling. Because of this, even the leanest cuts of beef will have more fat than pork. A large part is saturated fats, which raise blood cholesterol levels. High blood cholesterol levels are associated with heart disease. 

If you're buying ground beef, you can choose products with lower fat content. 

You don't need to give up pork (and other red meat) entirely. But you should reduce how much you eat to 70 grams or less a day. You can do this by using smaller amounts of pork in stews and bakes and adding other food such as vegetables. 

Eating larger portions of pork but going meat-free one or two days a week can bring your average red meat consumption to 70 grams daily. You can eat poultry or fish on meat-free days. Eggs, beans, and legumes are also good protein sources. 

A serving of pork is generally 90-100 grams. You can replace this on one or two days a week with:

• Fish fillet, 100 grams
• Chicken, 80 grams
• Large eggs, 2
• Nuts or seeds, 30 grams
• Legumes such as kidney beans, lentils, or chickpeas, 150 grams
• Tofu, 170 grams

Pork can spoil and cause disease if not handled and stored properly. Keep raw pork in sealed containers on your refrigerator's bottom shelf so it cannot drip onto other food. Always use meat by its "use by" date, and you can freeze meat before this date to extend its usable time. Cooked meat that you're not eating right away should be cooled quickly and frozen. You should only thaw or reheat cooked meat once. 

Red meats are often high in saturated fats. Eating a lot of such fats raises your blood cholesterol, putting you at risk for heart disease. To reduce your risk, you should:

• Ask for lean cuts at the butcher.
• Check the label for the fat content if buying packed meat.
• Avoid processed meats because they're high in fat content. Some of them have a lot of salt, too.
• Trim any visible fat before cooking.
• Grilling and baking are safer than frying or cooking with added fat
• If possible, use less meat and add pulses, starchy foods, and vegetables to dishes like curries, stews, and casseroles.
• Cook pork all the way through. Beef and lamb can be eaten "rare" (when they are pink inside), but not pork. 

Protein is needed for good health. You can reduce your cancer risk by mixing up your protein sources. Instead of eating red meat every day, you can include white meat in your diet. Some sources are:

• Chicken
• Duck
• Turkey
• Goose
• Game birds
• Rabbit

In addition, you should try to replace meat with fish one or two days a week. Fish also provides high-quality protein, very little saturated fat, and does not increase your cancer risk. Eggs, dairy, and vegetable protein sources such as beans and lentils are also nutritious and healthy.