Nutrition from Pork
When it comes to healthy eating, pork gets top marks!
Pork contains many nutrients recommended by Health Canada to build and maintain a healthy body, including six essential vitamins, four important minerals, protein and energy. Making pork a regular part of your diet makes good sense, especially when you consider that Canada's Food Guide recommends two to three servings of meat and alternatives every day.
| Check out what an average 100 gram cooked, trimmed serving of lean pork provides: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nutrient | Amount Provided | Benefits |
| Energy | ||
| Calories | 191 | Food provides energy for all body processes and muscle movement, and pork is an ideal source of food energy. High in nutrients, pork is especially important for growing children and teenagers, women, people on low calorie diets, and older adults. |
| Protein | ||
| Protein | 29 grams | Choose pork for protein. Protein is critical for building and repairing body tissues and producing antibodies which fight off infection. Pork is a high quality protein with all nine essential amino acids. |
| Fat | ||
| Fat | 7.5 grams | It may come as a surprise, but it is important to include fat as part of your daily diet. Fat supplies energy and provides essential fatty acids necessary for normal growth and healthy skin. Fat also carries the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Pork is a source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which may provide protection against cancer and heart disease due to its antioxidant properties. |
| Percentage of Daily Recommended Intake supplied by an average 100 gram cooked, trimmed serving of lean pork. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nutrient | % of Daily Recommended Intake | Benefits |
| Vitamins | ||
| Thiamin (Vitamin B1) | 65% | Pork is one of the best sources of Thiamin. Thiamin is necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrates. It's also essential for the growth and repair of nerve and muscle tissues and helps maintain appetite. |
| Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) | 22% | Pork rivals milk as your best source of riboflavin. Riboflavin plays an essential role in the release of energy from food and in cell division. This vitamin also promotes the growth and repair of tissues and maintains healthy skin and eyes. |
| Niacin (Vitamin B3) | 47% | Pork is high in Niacin, a vitamin which is essential for the release of energy from carbohydrates, proteins and fats. It's also required to maintain healthy skin, the digestive tract and the nervous system. |
| Vitamin B6 | 24% | Choose pork as good source of vitamin B6, which is essential for the metabolism of protein, carbohydrate and fat. Vitamin B6 also promotes normal functioning of the central nervous system. |
| Vitamin B12 | 38% | Pork is an excellent source of Vitamin B12, which is found only in animal products. Vitamin B12 helps build red blood cells and ensures healthy nervous tissue. It is essential for the normal function and metabolism of all cells, and is also involved in the synthesis of genetic material. |
| Pantothenate | 10% | Pantothenate is necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrate, fat and protein. Pantothenate is also required to synthesize hemoglobin, the part of the red blood cells that transports oxygen and carbon dioxide. |
| Minerals | ||
| Phosphorous | 22% | Pork is a good source of phosphorus, which strengthens bones and teeth and maintains energy balance. |
| Magnesium | 10% | Magnesium is essential for the formation of strong bones and teeth. It also transports nutrients in the body and regulates energy balance. |
| Iron | 9% | Choose pork as a source of Iron to ensure optimal physical and mental performance. Heme iron (found in meat) is absorbed more readily than non-heme iron (found in vegetables, breads, cereals, fruits, eggs and supplements). |
| Zinc | 36% | Pork is rich in zinc, which is essential for the healthy development and maintenance of the immune system and bone structure. Adequate zinc status improves resistance to infections, enhances bone formation in children and young adults, and appears to protect against bone loss in older adults. |