Other Essential Nutrients
Besides protein, meats supply varying amounts of vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals do not provide the body with energy, but are essential nutrients that are needed in small amounts in the diet to both prevent deficiency diseases and support optimal health.
B Vitamins
Pork is a one stop 'chop' for dietary B vitamins.
B vitamins are a family of nutrients, with related roles in health.
- Thiamin (Vitamin B1) plays a role in digestion and energy production, building and maintaining healthy nerve and muscle tissues, and supports normal appetite. Pork is the best dietary source of thiamin.
- Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) helps build and repair body tissues, is used in energy metabolism and supports normal vision and skin health.
- Niacin (Vitamin B3) plays a role in energy metabolism and maintains healthy skin, nervous and digestive systems.
- Vitamin B6 is essential for protein metabolism, energy production and normal brain function.
- Vitamin B12 is only found in foods derived from animals and helps to build red blood cells, ensure healthy cell function and nerve function.
Zinc
Adequate zinc intake is essential for growth. It is involved with building genetic material and proteins, cell development, fighting infections and keeping bones strong. Pork is an excellent source of zinc.
If you do not consume enough zinc you may become deficient and show symptoms such as loss of appetite, skin changes and reduced resistance to infections. A deficiency during childhood can retard growth; during pregnancy, a deficiency may cause birth defects.
| How Much Zinc Do I Need Each Day? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)** mg/day | |||
| Age | Males | Females | |
| Infant | |||
| 0-6 months | 2* | 2* | |
| 7-12 months | 3 | 3 | |
| Children | |||
| 1-3 years | 3 | 3 | |
| 4-8 years | 5 | 5 | |
| Adolescent | |||
| 9-13 years | 8 | 8 | |
| 14-18 years | 11 | 9 | |
| Adults | |||
| 19-30 years | 11 | 8 | |
| 31-50 years | 11 | 8 | |
| 51-70 years | 11 | 8 | |
| > 70 years | 11 | 8 | |
| Pregnancy | |||
| < 18 years | 13 | ||
| 19-50 years | 11 | ||
Source: National Academy of Science, 2001. www.nap.edu
** Vegetarian recommendations (those not consuming meat, fish or poultry) for zinc are two times greater the RDA than non-vegetarians.
* For healthy breastfed infants, the adequate intake based on the zinc content of breast milk.
Iron
Iron is an essential nutrient that plays a critical role in energy production in the body. It is a necessary component of red blood cells where it carries oxygen from the lungs to the muscles. Iron also plays a role in the body's ability to fight off infections, to think and to learn.
Getting enough dietary iron is still a concern in Canada. Women, adolescents, children, and infants are at potential risk for iron deficiency. Women are at greater risk than men because of pregnancy and menstruation and since they tend to eat less of iron-rich foods.
Iron deficiencies develop when we do not get enough iron from our diets and our iron stores become depleted. If you don't get enough iron you may experience:
- loss of energy
- trouble concentrating
- weakness
- decreased immunity
- headaches
- irritability
Who is at Risk?
- Children, infants and pregnant women due to growth and development.
- Teen-age girls and women due to increased blood loss from menstruation.
- Active individuals or athletes, who have greater iron losses.
- People who eat no animal-based foods.
| How Much Iron Do I Need Each Day? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)** mg/day | |||
| Age | Males | Females | |
| Infant | |||
| 0-6 months | 0.27* | 0.27* | |
| 7-12 months | 11 | 11 | |
| Children | |||
| 1-3 years | 7 | 7 | |
| 4-8 years | 10 | 10 | |
| Adolescent | |||
| 9-13 years | 8 | 8 | |
| 14-18 years | 11 | 15 | |
| Adults | |||
| 19-30 years | 8 | 18 | |
| 31-50 years | 8 | 18 | |
| 51-70 years | 8 | 8 | |
| > 70 years | 8 | 8 | |
| Pregnancy | |||
| < 18 years | 27 | ||
| 19-50 years | 27 | ||
Source: National Academy of Science, 2001. www.nap.edu
*For healthy breastfed infants, the adequate intake based on the iron content of breast milk.
** Vegetarian recommendations (those not consuming meat, fish or poultry) for iron are 1.8 times greater than non-vegetarians.
Maximize Your Iron Absorption!
- Choose lean meats, like pork, three to four times a week.
- Eat vitamin C-rich foods (orange juice, strawberries, peppers, and tomato) with any iron source to increase absorption.
- Select breads and cereals with the words iron-enriched or fortified on the label.
- Eat plant or grain foods that contain non-heme iron with meat, poultry, fish and/or vitamin C-rich foods.
- Avoid drinking coffee or tea with iron-food sources.
Note: If you have concerns or questions about iron or feel you may need to take an iron supplement to meet your iron needs, talk with a Registered Dietitian or your family physician.
| Food Sources of Iron and Zinc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Animal Sources* | Heme Iron (mg) easily absorbed | Zinc (mg) |
| Beef liver, 100g, pan-fried | 6.3 | 8.0 |
| Beef sirloin tip roast, 100g, roasted | 2.6 | 7.6 |
| Pork shoulder butt, 100g, roasted | 1.6 | 4.2 |
| Pork tenderloin, 100g, roasted | 1.5 | 2.6 |
| Pork inside leg (ham), 100g, roasted | 1.1 | 3.3 |
| Chicken breast, 100g, roasted | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| Halibut fish, 100g, broiled | 1.1 | 0.5 |
| Tuna fish, 100g, light meat, canned | 1.0 | 0.5 |
| Oysters, 6 medium, boiled/steamed | 5.0 | 7.6 |
| Egg, 1 large, boiled in shell | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Plants & Grains | Non-Heme Iron (mg) not easily absorbed | Zinc (mg) |
| Cream of wheat (enriched), cooked, 250 ml | 15 | 0.3 |
| Raisin bran (enriched), Kellogg's, 250 ml | 10 | 2.7 |
| Baked potato (skin & flesh), 1 medium | 2.8 | 0.6 |
| Kidney beans, dark red, 125 ml | 1.6 | 0.7 |
| Chickpeas, boiled, 125 ml | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| Prune Juice, 250 ml | 3.0 | 0.5 |
| Broccoli, 1 spear, raw | 1.3 | 0.6 |
| Spinach, raw, 125 ml | 0.8 | 0.2 |
| Molasses, blackstrap 15 ml | 3.6 | 0.2 |
* Animal sources of iron and zinc are absorbed best (except for iron from eggs). Nutrient data from the Canadian Nutrient File, 2001.