1. Overcooked Meat is Carcinogenic
Regardless of the meat, people tend to think the longer it's stewed, the better. Consequently, pressure cookers have become popular, allowing ribs to be stewed until even the bones become soft in just over ten minutes.
However, at temperatures between 200°C and 300°C, amino acids, creatinine, sugars, and other harmless compounds in meat undergo chemical reactions to form aromatic amines. These food-derived aromatic amines contain 12 compounds, 9 of which are carcinogenic.
In modern life, industrial pollution accounts for 50% of human carcinogenic factors, while diet accounts for 35%. Previously, we underestimated the carcinogenic role of toxic chemicals in food. Until the issue of aromatic amines is fully understood, one should avoid eating overcooked meat. The best method is to cook meat in a microwave oven and then discard the broth, which contains many compounds, thus avoiding the harm of aromatic amines to the human body.
2. Fried and Pickled Meat Produces Large Amounts of Nitrites
Pickled meat contains nitrates, which, when fried or pan-fried, produce the carcinogenic substance nitrosopyrrolidine. Therefore, when eating salted fish, cured meat, sausages, ham, etc., avoid frying or pan-frying. The correct way to eat them is to cook or steam them thoroughly until the nitrosamines evaporate with the steam. Additionally, when cooking cured or smoked foods, it's best to add some rice vinegar, as vinegar can decompose nitrites and also has a sterilizing effect.
3. Eating Too Much Lean Meat Can Cause Spots
Some people believe that eating fatty meat causes obesity, while lean meat does not and ensures nutritional intake, so they eat large amounts of lean meat. In fact, eating too much lean meat is not necessarily good. Lean meat has a high methionine content. Under the catalysis of a certain enzyme, methionine can be converted to homocysteine, and excessive homocysteine can also lead to atherosclerosis. Animal experiments have shown that homocysteine directly damages animal endothelial cells, forming typical atherosclerotic plaques. Therefore, lean meat should be consumed in moderation, as more is not always better.
4. Soaking Pork in Hot Water Loses Nutrients
Some people often soak fresh pork in hot water after buying it. This practice causes the pork to lose many of its nutrients.
The muscle and fat tissues of pork contain a large amount of protein, which can be divided into myosin and myogen. The coagulation point of myosin is 15°C-16°C, and it is highly soluble in water. When pork is soaked in hot water, a large amount of myosin is lost. At the same time, myosin contains organic acids, glutamic acid, and sodium glutamate, and losing these affects the flavor of the pork. Therefore, pork should not be soaked in hot water but should be quickly rinsed with cold water.
How to Eat Meat Healthily?
Meat is commonly eaten in our lives, but do you know how to choose it? There are two major principles for selecting meat, do you know them?
There are two principles for selecting meat food:
First, the smaller the animal, the better. The best meats for daily life are shrimp, fish, goose, duck, and chicken, followed by lamb, pork, and beef. The chemical structure of goose and duck meat is very similar to olive oil, and regular consumption can lower cholesterol in the blood, which is very beneficial for heart health. Fish protein has a high absorption rate, making it especially suitable for middle-aged and elderly people, particularly those who are weak.
When eating small fish or shrimp, it is best to eat them head and tail. The fish head is rich in essential nutrients such as phospholipids, and the abundant fish oil in the belly is beneficial unsaturated fatty acids for the body.
In addition, compared to fish, shrimp is richer in calcium and magnesium, and its unique astaxanthin has antioxidant and anti-aging effects.
Second, the lighter the color of the meat, the better its nutritional value. Meat can be divided into three categories based on color: the first category is bright red or dark red, such as pork, beef, and lamb. The second category is pink or light white, such as chicken, duck, goose, rabbit, and fish. The third category is almost colorless, mainly the meat of aquatic shellfish, such as clam, oyster, and crab meat.
The saturated fat and cholesterol content in light-colored and colorless meat is significantly lower than in red meat. And it is precisely the meat of smaller animals that is lighter in color, which once again shows that smaller animals are often more nutritious. It is recommended that the daily diet should lean towards smaller fish, shrimp, and shellfish.