Food For Thought: Health Benefits of Lamb Meat -Baaaa

Why Lamb?
In today's ever-increasing health conscious society, consumers are looking for new, exciting, and healthier alternatives to the traditional American diet. Lamb meat may be just the answer they are looking for.

Availability
With the rise in popularity of grass fed meat, the number of markets where advocates can buy lamb meat has increased. One of the best places is a meat market where the lambs are farmed locally and organically. Talking to the farmers if possible will allow the consumer to have the best idea of how the lambs were raised. 100% grass fed, organically raised meat with no added hormones or antibiotics is best.

Nutritional Advantage


The benefits of grass fed meat have been documented for some time, but the American trend has been mainly towards beef, and more recently, bison. While the grass fed versions of these meats are considerably healthier than the grain fed options, grass fed lamb may be the healthiest of the red meats. Lamb is unique among the red meats due to it being a complete protein, containing all 8 essential amino acids and many vitamins and minerals. Lamb also contains the highest amount of CLA,(conjugated linoleic acid) a naturally occurring compound found in the stomachs of sheep and cows that is believed to encourage antioxidant activity and may also have anti-cancer properties.

Heart Healthy
Lamb meat is typically leaner than beef, and half the fat in the lamb is monounsaturated fat. Mediterranean diets are generally high in lamb, which may contribute to the lower incidence of heart disease in that region. Lamb also contains laudable levels of the antioxidants zinc and selenium, as well as many B-complex vitamins that help regulate many metabolic processes.

Versatile
Lamb is a very versatile meat. It can be portioned into a variety of cuts, the main five being the shoulder, rack, loin, shank and leg. It can also be ground for delicious burgers and meatloaf. Preparing lamb is as easy as preparing any other meat; grilling, braising, roasting and frying. Lamb is a mainstay in Indian and Mediterranean recipes, where lamb meat is soft, buttery texture carries the varied spices well.

Environmentally Friendly
The environmental impact of cows is considerable, with many acres of land required for the larger, heavier animals. Erosion, overgrazing and water contamination can result from inadequately managed cattle farming. Sheep require less space, and can often graze on terrain deemed too rugged for cows. Sheep also eat a wider variety of plants and grasses, helping to keep balance in the natural flora. Sheep manure produces much less methane, a large contributor to pollution issues. For an overall healthier human population and planet, one of the best things we can do is to buy lamb meat!


The author has written this article keeping various uses of lamb meat for sale. The author has made its presence felt by researching on the health benefits delivered lamb beat. Lamb meat is a complete package of protein, containing all the essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals.