Nutritionists only taboo when eating pork intestines

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lam, former deputy director of the National Institute of Nutrition, said: “Pork belly is a dish loved by Vietnamese people and is rich in protein, but it also causes concerns about health problems. animal viscera (intestines, liver, kidney, stomach…) with sufficient levels not to cause harm to health”.

In terms of nutritional composition, in 100g of pork intestines, there are about 10g of protein. Protein is an important nutrient that helps build and regenerate all tissues, which are the building blocks of the body. Skin, muscles, bones and internal organs are largely made up of protein.

To eat pork intestines properly and without harm to health, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lam gave some notes. Animal organs in general, pork intestines in particular, are high in saturated fat and high in cholesterol. For example, 100g of pig’s oval has about 375mg of cholesterol, pig brain has 2,500mg of cholesterol, pig’s heart has 140mg of cholesterol, pig liver has 400mg of cholesterol… The amount of cholesterol in 100g of pig’s intestine is also equivalent to a pig’s oval.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lam, the biggest risk of people eating animal organs (including pig intestines) is the risk of increased cholesterol.

“Cholesterol is an essential component for cell structure. But too much cholesterol will cause atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke. To ensure safe eating of pig intestines and other animal organs, only should eat 3-4 times/month.

Assoc.

Assoc. People with metabolic disorders: hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease, overweight – obese people… limit eating animal organs.

Regarding the question of how much to eat, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lam said that for healthy people, if they like to eat intestines, they should only eat once a week. Eating only 70-80 grams at a time will not cause excess cholesterol and still get nutrients.

If an adult has a meal of about 200g of viscera, can load 500mg of cholesterol into the body, it will take many days to eliminate it all.

Assoc. Note that cholesterol is not only found in the viscera of animals, but also in animal skin, animal fat… Therefore, to be healthy, you should eat a variety and balance of foods.

At the same time, people should limit eating organs of unknown origin to ensure food safety. Don’t eat undercooked offal, easily contaminated, leading to cholera, dysentery, typhoid, tuberculosis, anthrax… At that time, bacteria and parasites will enter the body causing many diseases. dangerous disease. At the same time, people should not eat organs overnight because the risk of infection is very high, easy to go rancid, or have an unpleasant odor.

Ngoc Trang