Beef Jerky – Is it Healthy to Consume
Beef jerky was an invention to make the beef last for months and especially in the winter times when hunting was difficult and laziness made us all sit at home and rest. With time, beef jerky has become popular and more into practice in winter months because of the comfort and ease that comes with its usage. Also, there are numerous brands which process the beef and infuse salt and spices into it to make it taste better and different according to the choice. However, there have been question on the nutritional value of the beef jerky and if it is healthy compared to the fresh ones.
Well, beef jerky is a form of dried beef and thus it is as good as the fresh ones with a little flavouring and marinating. The nutritional value though changes with the processing, but when you have a careful look at the nutritional chart given by different brands on the packaging of the beef, you will know which one you should pick.
Here are some of the nutritional components of beef jerky to help solve if beef jerky is actually healthy!
Protein
As is evident a woman needs about 46 grams of protein each day and a man need 56 grams of protein to carry out the normal activities of the day. An ounce of beef jerky contains about 9.4 grams of protein. Protein essentially breaks down into amino acids and helps in building enzymes and tissues in the body.
Fat
Of course, beef jerky has a little fat. Almost an ounce of the beef jerky has about 120 calories out of which half of the energy comes from fat. These are saturated fats. A body should never intake more than 7 percent of saturated fat in a day and so when you keep your diet in check, there isn’t harm in consuming beef jerky regularly.
Cholesterol
Being dried up by marinating in oil and other seasoning, sometimes beef jerky has cholesterol to the level of 13 milligrams per ounce. This is almost 15% of the daily body cholesterol intake. Knowing the proportion to eat daily by controlling the diet isn’t that bad when you love beef jerky.
Sodium
Most beef jerky are famous for having sodium loaded in them which makes the blood pressure rise, giving stress to the heart. Sodium consumption is limited to 2300 milligrams per day with only 1500 milligrams for people who have asthma, heart problems, kidney disease or high pressure. An ounce of beef jerky contains about 500-600 milligrams of sodium.
Carbohydrates
Really low in carbohydrates with almost 5 milligram per ounce, beef jerky is used as a low-carb snack for people.
Zinc
A daily zinc intake for body is almost 40 milligrams and an ounce of beef jerky contains about 2.3 milligrams of zinc. Zinc supports the body with improved immune system and allows cell division. If not taken in proportion, it shall not let wounds heal or make you lose sense of smell and taste.
Thus beef jerky is quite healthy with all the health components listed. Have a look at your diet and maintain the consumption because everything tastes better and is healthy when taken in good proportions!
